Downing Street has pushed back against a key aide to President Trump who described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "humanitarian". Steve Witkoff, the US President's special envoy, sparked outrage when he thanked the Russian leader for releasing a US citizen held for more than four years.
Mr Witkoff said: "You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that."
Official Response
A Downing Street spokesperson dismissed this assessment, saying: "We certainly do not recognise that characterisation, and President Putin has killed thousands of people, both innocent Ukrainians and his own Russian people, who he has sent to their deaths on the frontline. He is starving children and the elderly of the heat and warmth, and systematically targeting critical national infrastructure."
The spokesperson added: "Ukraine's foreign minister summed it up well this morning when he said: 'This night, the residents of Kyiv heard what Russian humanitarianism really sounds like.'"
Minister's Criticism
Earlier, Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander gave a scathing description of Mr Putin. He said: "We see him as somebody who illegally invaded Ukraine at the start of this conflict, who has been responsible for conduct by his government that included attempted assassinations on UK soil. So we simply do not recognise the description of Vladimir Putin as a humanitarian. In contrast, we are crystal clear that we stand foursquare behind Volodymyr Zelensky and the people of Ukraine in their battle for freedom."
Released US Citizen
Stephen James Hubbard, 74, was allowed to return to the United States following a direct appeal by Mr Trump. He had been seized by Russian forces in Ukraine, where he was living, and was accused of being a Ukrainian mercenary despite an absence of evidence.
