You guys are still believing the spoon fed narrative about Russia from the communist media while Biden and his family were taking millions from Russia in bribes while Joe Biden was serving as vice president?
Naive with a capital N.
Rather than reading your drivel, I actually get the facts straight from the horse’s mouth:
https://njjewishnews.timesofisrael.com/chess-thinks-but-poker-bluffs/The part I mentioned:
“We know that Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, went to Russia at least four times in the last 100 days. We know that every time he was there, he spent more time with Putin. He was with Putin in Moscow. He was with Putin in Saint Petersburg. He has spent hours with him.
“But not only is it noticeable that Witkoff did not get any results, it is also clear to every professional how unprofessionally he is conducting the negotiation.”
Mr. Witkoff meets alone with Putin, Mr. Smukler said. To be more accurate, Putin is not alone. Mr. Witkoff sits unaccompanied at his side of the table. “He doesn’t even have a translator,” Mr. Smukler said. “He relies entirely on Putin’s translators.
“I don’t understand how he can conduct the most sensitive issue for the postwar world, negotiations to stop the bloodiest conflict since World War II, a conflict that possibly could lead to World War III, not only without military or professional experts, but even without his own interpreter.
“Using only the interpreter provided by the Russian side looks ridiculous to professional diplomats. Nobody knows what’s going on. Nobody knows on what terms Witkoff is discussing this with Putin.”
This is wrong for many reasons, Mr. Smukler said. For one, “historians will have to judge this absolutely historic moment in Western civilization based on Witkoff’s memories and the Russians’ notes and minutes.”
While Mr. Witkoff’s side of the table is unpeopled, Putin’s is not. At the last meeting — three and a half hours in Saint Petersburg — “Putin had not only translators and technical personnel but also the highest-level professional experts with him.”
One was Yuri Ushakov, “Putin’s advisor on foreign affairs, who was Russia’s ambassador to the United States for many years. He is considered one of Russia’s most professional diplomats.
“On the other side of Putin is Kirill Dmitriev. He’s close to Putin’s family; he spent many years in the United States, and graduated from Stanford and Harvard Business School. Putin chose him to be there because he understands American psychology.” He’s only 50, and represents a new generation of Russian leadership, Mr. Smukler added.
Mr. Witkoff, on the other hand, is not a professional diplomat. He’s a very successful New York real estate developer, who grew up as a nice Jewish boy in Roslyn Heights, on Long Island.
“It never happened like this in the history of Russia/U.S. relations,” a flabbergasted Mr. Smukler said. “No one could have imagined it, negotiations between senior officials and a U.S. envoy who doesn’t have a military or diplomatic experience, doesn’t have experts with him, and doesn’t even have a translator. Witkoff has zero experience in political life. His expertise is in development in construction.
“How could this person — this ordinary successful American Jewish businessman — discuss the future of peace in Europe, and the future of the Ukrainian people, with such limited knowledge of the subject? And especially when he’s speaking with Putin, who intellectually is five levels up from Witkoff? Who was trained by the KGB?
This grainy screenshot shows Vladimir Putin greeting Steve Witkoff.
“And Ushakov spent his entire life in U.S./Russia relations. He grew up from being an ordinary diplomat to being the personal advisor to the president. He is 78 years old, and he’s spent at least 52 years as a career diplomat at the highest level.
“Dmitriev is not only an expert in economy but has a special relationship with Putin’s family, as well as his deep understanding of U.S. life. That’s why he’s on the other side of the table.”
Watching Mr. Witkoff, “it seems to me that he really enjoys being there, with Putin,” Mr. Smukler said. He’s made public statements about how the situation that led to Russia’s invasion is “complicated” — it is in fact straightforward; Russia invaded its sovereign neighbor. He’s also said that “I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy.”
Mr. Smukler can think of an explanation for the situation. “It could mean that the administration doesn’t want anybody in the United States to know the details of the conversations and the negotiations. Witkoff could be only a mailman, who hopefully is taking notes.
“But interestingly, when I saw several minutes of the conversation between Witkoff and Putin on Russian TV, I didn’t see even a notepad in front of him.
“I think he goes there alone because Trump doesn’t want anybody in the United States except him to know what Witkoff says and what Putin says. Maybe he’ll also tell the Security Council, but it seems to me that they don’t want anybody else to know what’s being said.”
That’s because Putin and Witkoff — and by extension Trump — are on the same side, Mr. Smukler suggests. “They’re on Russia’s side. They are so afraid that the information will leak to Ukrainians, and also that European leaders will learn the details of the talks. They are mostly thinking about the interests of the Russians, instead of the Ukrainians or the Europeans.
“There is no other explanation for why Witkoff goes there alone.”
Mr. Smukler’s spent many hours watching videos of Putin’s interviews over the years, he said, and he’s learned what to look for in the Russian leader’s expression and body language. “We were trained to do that during Soviet times, he said. “Putin knows perfectly well how to hide his emotions.” Mr. Witkoff’s another story. “Witkoff definitely wasn’t trained. When you see the footage on the Russian channels, you can see how Witkoff enjoys the moment. When you see how he looks at Putin, you can see that he’s thrilled to be there, and to negotiate with him.
“Witkoff trusts Putin, and Trump trusts Witkoff.”
