Overview

• Steve Witkoff, appointed by President Trump, serves as Special Envoy to the Middle East and oversees Ukraine-Russia negotiations.
• Lacking formal training in international relations, Witkoff heavily draws on his real estate dealmaking background and personal intuition.
• He supplements his knowledge by reading books and watching documentaries, including Netflix programs on world conflicts.
• Witkoff's unconventional approach has drawn criticism from experts but is publicly defended by the White House as advancing Trump's America First agenda.
• His rapid rise has seen him take on responsibilities that overlap with those of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.