Michael Yokhin

This is beyond reprehensible. According to The Washington Post, while Witkoff and Kushner were supposedly in Moscow trying to negotiate an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine, they were also discussing potentially large U.S.-Russian economic projects with the Kremlin. (One thing to watch closely: whether any U.S.-Russian economic deal emerging from these negotiations creates direct or indirect financial benefits for Trump-linked businesses or members of his family.) Putin’s foreign-policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said that “economic issues and potentially large, mutually beneficial joint projects for Russia and America were discussed in considerable detail.” Russia is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine, Putin is showing little willingness to abandon his maximalist demands, and the two men Trump has ostensibly "entrusted" with negotiating a settlement are simultaneously discussing potentially large U.S.-Russian economic projects with the Kremlin. Then Witkoff sits across from Putin, a war criminal, and tells him that, when they retire and look back on their lives, their conversations with him will be “right at the top” of their incredible memories. Utterly disgusting. The Washington Post reported the economic discussions today, citing Ushakov. Reuters has independently reported that economic cooperation was discussed in detail during the three-hour meeting. To call these "negotiations" is laughable. A more apt description would be: two hucksters meet a war criminal to do business.