Witkoff draws bipartisan criticism for calling Putin a 'humanitarian'

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff faced bipartisan backlash Wednesday after calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a "humanitarian" for releasing an American prisoner, with Republican senators calling the remark "embarrassing" and "outrageous." Witkoff made the comment in St. Petersburg after Putin released 74-year-old Stephen Hubbard, an American held in Russia for four years and deemed wrongfully detained. GOP Sen. John Cornyn responded, "No. Putin is a stone cold killer," while Sen. Thom Tillis wrote, "Look up the definition of 'humanitarian.'" The praise comes amid escalating Russian strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and follows President Trump's recent waiver of new U.S. sanctions on Russia. Former Ambassador William Taylor said Hubbard "should never have been there in the first place," adding that giving Russia credit for the release is "cringeworthy."