‘Trump and His Envoys Are Working for Putin, Not the US,’ Top Democrats Warn

Three senior US Democratic lawmakers sharply condemned President Donald Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff on Wednesday, Nov. 11, accusing them of undermining Ukraine’s ability to resist Russia’s invasion, pressuring Kyiv to surrender sovereign territory and promoting Kremlin demands that threaten NATO and US national security. In a strongly worded joint statement, Congressman Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Congressman Adam Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee; and Senator Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sharply condemned the envoys for undermining Ukraine while advancing Russian interests.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Ukraine continues to inflict massive casualties on the Russian Army and cripple the Russian economy, while US Special Envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff continue to undermine Ukraine’s ability to negotiate a just and lasting settlement in Putin’s brutal and illegal invasion,” the lawmakers said. They also warned that the envoys’ actions threatened NATO, which they described as “the most successful alliance in history.” “Their parroting of Kremlin talking points on renegotiating European security and possibly pulling back from Eastern Europe is totally unacceptable to the continued viability of NATO and the national security of the United States,” the statement said. Other Topics of Interest Ireland Backs Ukraine’s 2027 Funding, Tougher Russia Sanctions and Joint Drone Production Dublin backs continued financial assistance for Kyiv and announces new cooperation to protect Ukrainian civilians from Russian attacks. Democrats condemn pressure to surrender Ukraine’s fortified defenses The lawmakers accused Kushner and Witkoff of repeatedly pressuring Kyiv to surrender sovereign Ukrainian territory, including its heavily fortified defensive positions in Donbas. “This is in addition to the constant pressure from Kushner and Witkoff for Kyiv to surrender sovereign Ukrainian territory, including its fortress belt – key defensive positions preventing a rapid advance westward,” they said. The statement accused the envoys of repeatedly bypassing, ignoring and undermining the US intelligence community and State Department. “Their Trumpian transactional approach, in which they are treating a nation’s fight for survival like a real estate deal, threatens global stability,” the lawmakers said. “They and Trump are working for Putin, not for the benefit of the people of the United States.” The accusations came as President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected US pressure to surrender territory in Donbas during a press conference in Dublin. “The American side very often raises the topic of Donbas, part of our Ukrainian land,” Zelensky said Wednesday. “They think that to end this war, we have to leave our territory. It’s impossible to talk this way with us, with an independent, sovereign country.” ‘Putin responds only to strength’ Meeks, Smith and Reed warned that weakening Ukraine while easing pressure on Moscow would not produce a lasting peace but would instead reward Russian aggression. “Congress and the American people also understand that Putin responds only to strength,” they said. “Negotiating away all the pressure from him while undercutting Ukraine has not and will never be successful.” The lawmakers also condemned proposals that could undermine NATO’s post-Cold War security arrangements by accommodating Russian demands for a reduced Western military presence in Eastern Europe. “Pushing a post-war security agreement that seeks to destroy NATO’s post-Cold War mandate of a ‘Europe whole, free, and at peace,’ benefits only Russia and threatens grave consequences for us and the rest of the world,” they warned. They argued that Congress and the American public had historically supported Ukraine and NATO because doing so was both strategically sound and morally right. The lawmakers also criticized what they described as the administration’s focus on transactional diplomacy at the expense of America’s national security interests. Democrats warn Trump against ‘appeasing Putin’ The statement came ahead of Thursday’s planned meeting between Kushner, Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. As Kyiv Post reported, the envoys are expected to meet Putin before traveling to Dublin for further negotiations with Zelensky. The Ukrainian president has expressed skepticism that Moscow will provide concrete answers to proposals discussed during Abu Dhabi talks, while insisting that Washington must pressure Russia rather than demand territorial concessions from Ukraine. Zelensky also stressed that Kyiv needs binding security guarantees from the US, not promises from Moscow. The Democratic lawmakers concluded their statement with a direct warning to Trump, accusing his envoys of pursuing an approach that risks rewarding Russia’s invasion. “The Administration has claimed to be in favor of ‘peace through strength.’ The president should inform Kushner and Witkoff that surrendering in Ukraine and appeasing Putin will result in neither peace nor strength.” Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.