Overview
- NBC, citing more than a dozen current and former U.S. and European officials, details overlapping diplomatic tracks run by Secretary Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff.
- Examples include an April one-on-one with President Emmanuel Macron arranged by Witkoff that Rubio learned about late and a late-November Florida meeting with Ukrainians that surprised Rubio’s team.
- Sources also describe Witkoff traveling to Switzerland ahead of Rubio to meet Ukrainian officials and flying to Moscow on his private jet, moves that prompted security concerns.
- The State Department ordered a review in May and provided added protection plus a secure mobile system, yet officials say Witkoff has not always used the government’s secure communications.
- The report portrays a strategic split, with critics calling Witkoff “a gift to the Russians” for pushing a fast deal and concessions, while Rubio favors longer-term pressure, even as the White House and both men publicly deny a rift.