Witkoff misread Putin's ceasefire terms on troop withdrawal: Bild
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Bild reports that US envoy Steve Witkoff misunderstood Russia's ceasefire terms in Ukraine, wrongly believing Moscow offered to withdraw from some occupied regions when it still demands full Ukrainian pullout from all claimed territories.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, right, shake hands during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025 (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Bild reported on Saturday that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff may have misunderstood Russia's position on a potential ceasefire in Ukraine following his recent meeting with Vladimir Putin.
According to the German outlet, Moscow has not moved from its demand for full control over Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye before any truce is agreed.
While Russia has signaled willingness for a "sectoral" ceasefire, targeting certain areas or infrastructure rather than a full halt, leaked proposals circulating in the media suggest Putin appeared open to a broader pause in fighting if Ukrainian forces withdrew only from Donetsk and Luhansk.
Bild's sources say the confusion may have come from Witkoff misinterpreting Putin's reference to a "peaceful withdrawal" from Kherson and Zaporozhye. In reality, they explained, Moscow's demand is for Ukraine to pull its troops from these regions, whereas Witkoff reportedly believed the proposal involved Russian forces leaving them.
"Witkoff doesn't know what he's talking about," an anonymous Ukrainian official told Bild, a sentiment the paper says is echoed by German government representatives. The Wall Street Journal has separately reported that Putin's position has alarmed European interlocutors, who fear it would lock in Russian occupation of large swaths of Ukrainian territory.
The Bild report comes after a three-hour meeting between Witkoff and Putin in Moscow on August 6, just days before a planned August 15 summit between Donald Trump and Putin in Alaska. Ahead of the meeting, US, Ukrainian, and European officials are expected to gather in the UK to coordinate their stance, with some European diplomats already voicing concern over US messaging.
Media speculation suggests that Washington and Moscow may be exploring a deal to formalize Russia’s control over annexed territories, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected any compromise on national borders.
Read more: Ukraine won't cede land, Zelensky says ahead of Trump-Putin meeting
