President Vladimir Putin, right, greets U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, prior to talks at the Senate Palace of the Kremlin in Moscow, on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. Donald Trump’s special envoy for peace has sparked concern after he gushed over Vladimir Putin during a trip to Moscow. Steve Witkoff headed to the Kremlin this week for talks on ending the Ukraine war. He went with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, amid heightened efforts to conclude the conflict – but began his crucial diplomatic visit by sucking up to the Russian autocrat. According to readout shared on the Kremlin website, Putin welcomed the delegation by acknowledging the situation they have to sort out is a “difficult one”. He then began flattering the US team, saying: “And here, of course, the quality of mediation and trust in those who are engaged in it are very important. “I’d like to tell you that we find it comfortable to work with you, and, of course, we have a very high level of trust during this work.” Witkoff replied: “So, first of all, President Putin, thank you so much for having us. “We were sitting outside just now, me, Jared and Kirill, and then Yury joined us, and we were all talking about when we retire, we’ll have all these incredible stories and incredible memories, and yours will be right at the top of it all.” Special envoy Kirill Dmitriev and adviser Yuri Ushakov are two senior figures very close to Putin. Apparently the US delegation discussed “substantive plans for next steps” with Putin on Saturday, according to the White House, though the details remain unclear. An announcement is expected in the coming weeks. But it was Witkoff’s remarks, not the promise of a potential peace deal, which sparked a stir online... Steve Witkoff: “After I retire, I’ll look back on my meetings with Putin in the Kremlin as some of the best and most unforgettable moments of my life.” How morally bankrupt do you have to be to say this about a war criminal who is responsible for kidnapping children and killing… pic.twitter.com/GnFua0bFHN — Roman Sheremeta 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@rshereme) September 5, 2026 Witkoff is a national embarrassment. Disgraceful. https://t.co/8U35rccfW1 — Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) September 5, 2026 What a complete jerk this guy is. So out of his depth it is embarrassing. https://t.co/MKQ3gjoMID — ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) September 5, 2026 Steve Witkoff to Putin: "when we retire, we'll have all these incredible stories and memories, and yours will be right at the top of it all." This to a man launching ballistic missiles at maternity hospitals and stealing Ukrainian children en masse. Humiliating bootlicking. https://t.co/kZJHJggRV0 — Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) September 5, 2026 Witkoff is clearly on Putin’s side. He’s hardly a neutral mediator. https://t.co/W7pQJZkpoz — Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) September 5, 2026 I wanna throw up pic.twitter.com/K550LKqTAs — Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) September 5, 2026 Such a strange comment. Doesn’t instill confidence that Witkoff has the ability to end this war. https://t.co/5NlkuBaoHJ — Michael McFaul (@McFaul) September 5, 2026 Witkoff: "President Putin, thank you so much for having us. We were sitting outside just now, me, Jared, Kirill, Yuri, and we were talking about, when we retire, we'll have all these incredible stories and memories, and yours will be right at the top of it all." Just sickening!… pic.twitter.com/wXJy7AaUXz — Kate from Kharkiv (@BohuslavskaKate) September 5, 2026 Nauseating for any person with a sense of decency. — Greg Gaylor (@SMUMustangAlum) September 5, 2026 According to the Kremlin, the talks were useful, but there was no clear sign of a breakthrough in talks. The US president once vowed to end the Ukraine war within the first 24 hours of his return to office in January 2025 – but the conflict continues to rage. Even so, Trump still seems optimistic he can be the man to find a resolution. “I just want to see that end. I think we’ll get it,” the US president told GB News earlier this week. The Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelenskyy said the US delegation was going to head to Kyiv for talks after the Moscow trip. Witkoff and Kushner are hoping for “equally productive meetings” in Ukraine. It will be their first trip to Ukraine’s capital. Both Ukraine and Russia agreed to halt strikes on one another’s capitals for three days while the US delegation is in the area. Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster. Related... Exclusive: Diane Abbott Will Not Lose Labour Whip Over Russia Comments BBC Expert Warns Putin Is Trying To ‘Get Britain Stressing’ Over Russia's Intentions Andy Burnham Appears To Have Poked The ‘Russian Bear’. Why Does That Matter?