John Bolton Hits Out at Steve Witkoff: 'Propaganda Vehicle for Putin'

John Bolton has sharply criticized Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's special envoy who has been dealing with Russia in talks to end its war on Ukraine, calling him a "propaganda vehicle" for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Witkoff knows nothing," Bolton, a U.S. national security adviser to Trump in his first administration, told Sky News on Tuesday morning, adding "he's more of a propaganda vehicle for Putin than anything else."

Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.

Why It Matters

Bolton has been a regular critic of Trump and his administration's foreign policy, in particular regarding the handling of the war in Ukraine started by Putin.

There have been question marks over Witkoff's diplomatic skills after the special envoy told conservative broadcaster Tucker Carlson that Ukrainians living under Russian occupation "want" to be ruled by Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said these comments were "disturbing" and echoed a Kremlin talking point. He also appeared to dismiss Witkoff as out of his depth given his prior experience as a real estate agent.

What To Know

In an interview with the U.K. channel Sky News, Bolton said that Witkoff has repeated Kremlin rhetoric on the war Putin started.

This included conveying Putin's line that Ukrainians inside Russia's Kursk province, where Kyiv staged an incursion last August, were surrounded, a statement Bolton said "turns out not to have been true."

"But that's what Putin told Witkoff, Witkoff told that to Trump, and Trump then said it publicly," said Bolton. He added that he believed Putin had received "enormous concessions" from Trump.

These included Washington not pushing for the full restoration of Ukrainian territorial integrity, no NATO membership for Kyiv, nor any security guarantees from either the alliance or the U.S.

However, Bolton said that Putin will have to be careful not to push too far and jeopardize those concessions, but he believed the Russian leader will try to get more from Trump.

The anti-Trump X account Call to Activism posted the clip, adding the message, "Wow. John Bolton, Trump's former National Security Advisor just called Trump's top Middle East adviser Steve Witkoff a Russian stooge."

This message was reposted by Russian opposition figure Garry Kasparov who added, "truth hurts."

What People Are Saying

John Bolton, former U.S. national security adviser, said on Sky News: "Witkoff knows nothing. In fact, he's more of a propaganda vehicle for Putin than anything else."

Pro-Ukrainian social media channel Jay in Kyiv said: "Bolton lays out how Putin has mobilized the dumbest administration in U.S. history to be mere conduits of Russian lies about Ukraine. Putin tells Witkoff. Witkoff tells Trump. Trump tells the world.

What Happens Next

Despite Bolton's comments, Witkoff's role in peace negotiations may not be critical. Following talks between American, Ukrainian and Russian delegations last month, the White House has still expressed optimism that the Trump administration can broker a peace deal in the coming weeks.

Update 04/01/25, 9:15 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with further information.