A key U.S. special envoy in charge of negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war is facing criticism for lacking even a basic understanding of Ukraine’s political system and the course of the war. In Ukraine, concerns are growing about the expertise of the U.S. negotiating team, along with fears that talks that could determine the trajectory of the war might be rushed.

According to a report by the Kyiv Independent on the 28th (local time), when the envoy recently met with some reporters and was asked whether President Donald Trump’s peace initiative was being pushed to coincide with February 24, the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he gave an answer that showed he did not even know when the war began. He said, “I didn’t know when that anniversary is,” and, “I don’t feel pressured just because it’s the fourth anniversary.”

The envoy then claimed that the Russia-Ukraine war has lasted longer than World War II. He said, “I think this is now the longest war. It has become longer than World War II.” However, Russia’s full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022, and World War II broke out in September 1939 and continued until 1945.

The outlet also reported that the envoy referred to Kyrylo Budanov, the former head of the military intelligence directorate who was recently appointed head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, as “the vice president of Ukraine.” Ukraine does not have a vice-presidential post.

Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, called this “a serious problem,” criticizing that “he has already made significant diplomatic mistakes, both technically and substantively, multiple times.” He said, “This envoy views territorial issues as if they were real estate,” adding, “He does not know the basics of politics, history, or international law.”

Aleksandra Filippenko, an expert on U.S.-Russia relations, assessed the envoy as “not so much a seasoned diplomat as a person trusted by President Trump.”

Although the Kyiv Independent did not name him directly in the article, it appears to be referring to Steve Witkoff, the Middle East special envoy, a billionaire real estate developer with no diplomatic experience.

Merezhko said, “Even Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and another member of the envoy team, appears more professional,” adding, “This envoy seems to play a kind of ‘overseer’ role on the negotiating team.”

Nicholas Westcott, a professor at SOAS, University of London, told the Kyiv Independent, “President Trump is reverting to old-style diplomacy conducted through people he trusts rather than experts,” adding, “On an issue as complex and deeply rooted in historical context as Ukraine, this becomes a serious weakness.”