One of Donald Trump's senior envoys for Ukraine has sparked alarm after making a series of blunders during crucial peace talks, according to a report. The unnamed official allegedly made comments that exposed a basic lack of knowledge about the war between Ukraine and Russia during trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi last week.
Among the incorrect statements allegedly made during the meetings are errors about how long the war has been going on, when it started and whether Ukraine has a vice-president. The official reportedly told reporters: 'General Kyrylo Budanov is now their vice-president.' Ukraine does not have a vice-president, and Budanov has recently been appointed as head of the president's office. The official also admitted not knowing the four-year anniversary of the conflict.
The White House has pushed back on the report, calling the claims 'nonsense' and arguing that Donald Trump had done 'more than anyone' to try and end the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. A White House spokesperson said: 'President Trump and his entire team have done more than anyone to stop the killing and bring peace to this brutal war.'
The talks are the first between the three countries since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. They have been led by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, army secretary Dan Driscoll and other senior administration officials. Pictures from a meeting at the Kremlin with president Vladimir Putin also showed commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service Josh Gruenbaum present.
Meanwhile, Russia has continued to attack Ukraine in a series of strikes that president Volodymyr Zelensky has called acts of 'terrorism'. Overnight, three people were killed in Odesa, just a day after five were killed in a drone strike on a passenger train. Zelensky warned that the escalations were a signal that Russia is preparing a 'new massive strike' and said the onslaughts discredited peace talks.
