CBSs Margaret Brennan is shocked, flummoxed, stunned and perplexed at the amount of time President Trump’s personal envoy Steve Witkoff spent in trust building conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This CBS interview comes on the heels of reporting about Volodymyr Zelenskyy losing his cool and angrily shouting at Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and provides quite a contrast. Envoy Steve Witkoff patiently outlines the framework for his respectful discussions with Vladimir Putin.
CBS is really concerned about the details of these meetings. The possibility of peace negotiations, the looming likelihood of a ceasefire and the status of the sanctions ending are all of great concern. Watch and you will see what I mean. WATCH (prompted):
[Transcript of the Russia Discussion] – MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to also ask you about Russia. You are a very trusted advisor to President Trump, and he sent you to speak face to face with Vladimir Putin. Fox reported you sat with Putin for three and a half hours. You said that you spent a lot of time talking, developing a friendship and a relationship with Putin, and that’s how you helped bring this U.S. Citizen Mark Fogel, home. Can you take us inside that room? Did you have a translator? Did you have a note taker? Were you talking in English? What happened?
STEVE WITKOFF: There was a translator. In fact, there were two translators. And I- to me, the assignment was trust building and speaking behalf- on behalf of my boss, the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. And I had no expectation as to how long the meeting was going to last. I was intent on carrying a message from the President to President Putin. I had been advised that the President- that President Putin had something for me to transmit back to the President. And the meeting ended, I looked at my watch, and it was close to three and a half hours that we were in there and hopefully that that suggests that a lot of good things got accomplished. I think that President Trump believes- and I believe because he believes it, that trust building begins with good, proper communication. And we had really good- we just had a great discussion being President Putin, and now it will be up to President Putin and President Trump to work something out. And I think they’re going to be successful.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Did you have an intelligence officer or anyone else with you? That’s an extraordinary amount of face time with Putin.
STEVE WITKOFF: I had- it was just me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It was just you. The head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund- I know you know him- Kirill Dmitriev, told Reuters that afterward they expect a number of American companies to return to Russia this year. Is he right to expect that? Did you discuss lifting U.S. sanctions off of Russia?
STEVE WITKOFF: We did not have that specific discussion at- at the meeting you’re referring to. But, I think that- that obviously there would be an expectation that if we get to a peace deal, that you would be able to have American companies come back and do business there. And I think that everybody would believe that that would be a positive good thing to happen.
MARGARET BRENNAN: After the end to the war and concessions were made by Russia?
STEVE WITKOFF: Well, that’s what everybody wants–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Okay.
STEVE WITKOFF: What everybody wants- the beg- the beginning of that Margaret is- would be a- would be a temporary ceasefire. But, the long term goal would be an end to this- that we’ve had a- you know, close to a million and a half deaths. And so- you know, President Trump, the- his- his agenda, is to end this carnage. It just didn’t belong to- it didn’t need to happen, and it doesn’t need to continue- not, you know, another day. So we’re on it at his direction. And I think there is- you’re going to see some- some real positive developments in the near term future.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, thank you for joining us. We’ll be back in a moment with a lot more “Face the Nation.” Stay with us.
Big shot fired to the IC babysitters.
What? No Democrat operative babysitter was present? hahahahahaha
You mean a warmonger deep state person so they have a direct hand in the demise of Donald Trump’s peace goals.
I was thinking maybe Hunter and Jill could sit in. Having the security clearance to be in a meeting like this is just so overrated.
Neither of the evil Vindman twins was available.
MARGARET BRENNAN: After the end to the war and concessions were made by Russia?
At least now they are accepting peace, but they still want Russia to pay!
I wanted to punch her in the mouth. Why should Russia have to pay for a war that the US started? Clearly she knows nothing but the propaganda and lies told by the media.
I may have to make my ringtone for unknown spam callers Marge’s voice. 🤣🤣🤣
The gall of Marge being indignant about Mr. Witcoff meeting without IC in the room was precious.
I would play this clip to a ton of people, but, sadly, they would not understand the deliciousness of it.
Lonely girl here…🤣🤣🤣
Not entirely alone . . . you are amongst friends!
😊
Was she making that face again?
We do not need to be “palsy-walsy” with Russia to fully understand that there are substantial shared geopolitical interests.
Look at a map. Russia in the long term faces an acquistive China across a long border. Siberia has potential significant value to China. Islam is a ideological nightmare, and occupies space just beneath the Russian border.
We are not pure as the wind driven snow in our relationships with foreign nations – expecting Russia to be so is simply hypocritical. Over a long term, Russia could well develop into a “comrade.”
I would be better pleased if Russian controlled the Dardenelles vs Turkey. Constantinople has a better ring in my ears than Istanbul.
Russia will do quite well with China, Iran, and North Korea, as allies. Russia gets along well with Islam. Who’s followers make up over 15% of Russia’s population.
Thanks to our “Not as pure as the driven snow relationships”
It is all of them united against us that is the major problem.
Constantinople has a better ring in my ears than Istanbul
Even old New York
Was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it, I can’t say
People just liked it better that way
The Dutch named it New Amsterdam for obvious reasons. Then when the English came along, they named it New York for obvious reasons as well.
“Did you have an intelligence officer, or anyone else with you?”
You know – seriously, who does she think she is? She needs to be made to heel. This is outrageous!
He ruined her day. He made too much sense. Bulletproof.
She is so insufferable! Her haughty attitude and tone of voice…..as though something wrong was going on….something shady….where was that tone ref the Biden crime family?
Her insufferable attitude and questioning came straight from the IC don’t ya know! Remember USAID. Just another way to Sunday that they can get you.
Joyless Reid. Now a bug in the windshield.
Rafe Maddow. Soon to be talking to herself and the camera crew.
Saggy Maggy. Looking like an impertinent North Korean News neck anchor
Our real enemies are internal. Orthodox Christian Russia is not our enemy.
Amen!
Thank you, Sundance! I do love Steve Witkoff!
They should perfectly well know that the negotiations were, and must be: ##TOP SECRET.## He is not going to tell you what they discussed for 3-1/2 hours, even if you ask him to. He does not have to give any details whatsoever.
Negotiations cannot proceed unless the other party is absolutely certain of the secrecy of the communication. This is true of any sensitive negotiations.
“Knowledge Is Power.” And, at this moment, you have no “Need To Know.” Instead, there is a “Need Not To Know.” The two sides will in proper time make public statements as they agree and as they see fit.
You would almost think this angst is on behalf of those in Congress and the Bureaucracy who have their panties in a bunch – or maybe the nattering nabobs of negativism (h/t William Safire by way of Spiro Agnew) have their own pantie worries!
Were you wearing cologne? Did Putin like it?
Did you take a bathroom break? Was the toilet paper two ply or one ply?
From the article … questions at the end of Brennan’s opening comments … “Can you take us inside that room? Did you have a translator? Did you have a note taker? Were you talking in English? What happened?”
Read the questions and think back to the Ukraine Phone Call and Russia Russia Impeachment Investigation. Don’t these questions have a familiar ring to them??
Margaret, while there is no cure for TDS, treatments are available and can lead to a more fulfilling lifestyle.
Ask your doctor.