{
  "id": 6131589,
  "title": "Ukrainian journalist asks Trump’s envoy to his face whether he was disgusted to sit across from “international criminal” Putin. Witkoff wouldn’t answer directly",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/ukrainian-journalist-asks-trumps-envoy-to-his-face-whether-he-was",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-07T10:50:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euromaidan Press",
    "slug": "euromaidan-press",
    "url": "https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/09/07/ukrainian-journalist-asks-trumps-envoy-to-his-face-whether-he-was-disgusted-to-sit-across-from-international-criminal-and-butcher-of-ukrainian-people-putin-witkoff-wouldnt-answer-directly/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At a press conference in Kyiv on September 6, Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon confronted US special envoy Steve Witkoff directly. He questioned whether the envoy felt repulsed by sitting across from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he referred to as an \"international criminal.\" Witkoff did not reply directly, instead stating that achieving peace requires maintaining open relations and communication with both the Ukrainian and Russian sides. Despite Witkoff's assurances, the war has only escalated under Trump's leadership. Russia has intensified its civilian-targeting strikes and developed a broader range of weapons to inflict mass terror. The International Criminal Court had already issued a warrant for Putin's arrest in 2023 over his role in deporting Ukrainian children. Witkoff admitted to visiting Moscow eight times to meet with Putin and his team, but these encounters have not led to any meaningful progress. In December 2025, a comprehensive 20-point peace plan was proposed, yet Russia's aggression continued unabated. This included the destruction of a thermal power plant in Kyiv and plunging millions into darkness during subzero temperatures. As the US deploys anti-ballistic missile interceptors, the cycle of violence and destruction is expected to persist into the upcoming winter. The journalist also asked whether the US believes Putin and Russia only understand force. Witkoff avoided answering this question, reiterating that their role is to foster dialogue and improve communication between the two nations. In a separate incident, Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon narrowly escaped an assassination attempt orchestrated by the Russian Security Service in 2025. The plot, reportedly sponsored by Russia, offered a $400,000 reward for the murder of Gordon.",
  "summary": "Earlier, Russia's FSB put a $400,000 bounty on Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}