Putin not a 'bad guy,' Trump envoy says

White House envoy Steve Witkoff has described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “great” and “trustworthy” leader, revealing that Putin prayed for Donald Trump after the former president was shot at a campaign rally last year.

Witkoff, who held extended talks with Putin in Moscow last week, said their discussions focused on finding a path to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, he spoke about the meeting, calling the talks “constructive and solution-based.”

“I liked him. I thought he was straight up with me,” Witkoff said. “I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy. That is a complicated situation, that war, and all the ingredients that led up to it.”

He described a personal exchange in which Putin recalled his reaction to Trump’s July 2024 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. According to Witkoff, Putin told him he went to church and prayed for Trump as a “friend,” not just as a world leader.

The Russian president also commissioned a “beautiful portrait of President Trump from a leading Russian artist” and asked Witkoff to deliver it to Trump. “It was such a gracious moment,” the envoy said.

Witkoff’s praise marks a stark shift in U.S. rhetoric toward the Kremlin under Trump’s second term. Washington has historically treated Putin as an adversary, but Witkoff framed the Russian leader as willing to end the conflict in Ukraine.

He also suggested that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should accept negotiations. “Zelensky is in a very, very difficult situation, but he’s up against a nuclear nation,” Witkoff said. “Now is the best time for him to get a deal done.”

The interview was conducted on Carlson’s platform, which has drawn criticism for promoting pro-Kremlin narratives. Carlson’s February 2024 sit-down with Putin was widely seen as a soft interview, offering the Russian leader an unchallenged platform.