David Lidington

Former Chair & now Distinguished Fellow @rusi_org. President @conseurope, UK chair #Königswinter & #AuroraForum Ex Cabinet & MP [email protected]

[Shashank Joshi @shashj]

Let’s take a look at the figures.

“More than 60% of Ukrainians consider handing Moscow all of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region in exchange for security guarantees completely unacceptable, according to a new poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).
The survey, conducted Oct. 8-16, found that 61% rejected the proposed concession, while 35% were prepared to accept it, most of them describing it as a difficult condition. Another 4% were undecided.”

[Kevork Oskanian @DrKevorkO]

There is a very simple way to nip this historical nonsense in the bud:

Russia recognised Ukraine within its existing borders in 1991. It reaffirmed that recognition in one international legal instrument after another.

End of story.

[Iain Dale 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧 ⚒️ @IainDale]

Pass the sickbag. Kidnapping tens of thousands of Ukrainian children. Yeah, really humanitarian. Absolutely vomit inducing.

[Aubrey Allegretti @breeallegretti]

Andy Burnham's spokeswoman had this strongly-worded response to questions about Steve Witkoff calling Vladimir Putin a "humanitarian":

No 10 said: "We certainly do not recognise that characterisation.

"President Putin has killed thousands of people - both innocent Ukrainians and his own Russian people who he has sent to their deaths on the frontline.

"He is starving children and the elderly of heat and warmth - and systematically targeting critical national infrastructure.

"Ukraine's foreign minister summed it up well this morning when he said: 'This night, the residents of Kyiv heard what Russian humanitarianism really sounds like.'"

[Martin Anthony Tett @MATatBucks]

Just totally unbelievable. I hope the parents of the dead Ukrainian children don’t see this appalling appeasement. How has this great country fallen so far?

[Paul JohnstonIUA @pjohnstoniua]

Good to see broad condemnation of Witkoff’s appalling obsequiousness. If Kissinger’s peace prize was the death of satire this is a disgrace beyond words

[Marko Mihkelson 🇪🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 @markomihkelson]

Russian-style humanitarianism in action.

[Sir Conor Burns @ConorBurnsUK]

Glad to see you say this in public @TomTugendhat.

Only one update from Reagan’s time. Evil in search of a lost Empire. As Ukraine shows. And the rest of Europe is waking up to.

[Nick Bryant @NickBryantNY]

'You are a humanitarian also, sir, and i salute that.' Trump's personal envoy and golfing partner paying tribute to a homicidal former KGB chief who has ordered the murder of Russian opponents, and launched a war which has killed more than 130,000 Ukrainians.

[ALASTAIR CAMPBELL @campbellclaret]

Another day in the life of the Trump Witkoff Putin humanitarian effort

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

Three waves of ballistic missiles have been launched at Kyiv by Russian “humanitarians” since yesterday evening. They used 21 missiles. Unfortunately, numerous sites across the city have been hit and damaged: ordinary residential buildings, energy facilities, infrastructure at one of the railway stations and the metro, shopping malls, and businesses. Even a monastery is among the damaged sites. Our emergency services are working at all the affected locations. Twelve of our regions came under Russian attack overnight. In Kyiv and across the regions, 34 people were injured, including five children. As of now, two people have been confirmed killed. My condolences to their families and loved ones.

Almost immediately after another round of talks, Russia launched a pointed attack. This means there has been no real change in its attitude toward everything that is happening. It is important to keep trying to find the right solutions to end this war. But when Russia responds to negotiations with ballistic missiles, real pressure on Russia is needed to bring about different steps – steps toward ending the killing. Stronger air defenses and the rapid delivery of missiles, the ability to destroy ballistic missile launchers, sanctions over the war – all of this must be in place. I am grateful to everyone who sees the situation for what it is and acknowledges the reality. The aggressor deserves to be treated accordingly. Ukraine deserves support. People's lives deserve protection. Thank you to everyone who stands with Ukraine!

[Oleksandra Matviichuk @avalaina]

I have read dozens of outraged posts because the US special envoy Witkoff called Putin a "humanist." But no one is writing about the fact that the American negotiators are simply not doing their job. Let me explain.

Peace negotiations are important in their own right. Even if they do not lead to a lasting peace, the process itself is an opportunity to resolve urgent humanitarian issues. If, of course, the human dimension is a priority for the negotiators. But it is entirely obvious that neither Witkoff nor Kushner cares about people's fates in this war.

The Pope calls on Putin to save thousands of people from starvation in occupied Oleshky and the surrounding villages. The UN speaks about a humanitarian catastrophe and asks Russia to allow the evacuation of the civilian population. European Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno goes on a hunger strike to draw attention to this tragedy unfolding before the eyes of the whole world.

And what are Witkoff and Kushner doing?

That's right, almost nothing.

Except for passing along greetings from Putin’s aide to the First Lady.

Thousands of people are already eating grass to survive and begging to save their lives. The Ukrainian side raises the issue of Oleshky at every meeting. And I can name dozens of such urgent humanitarian issues off the top of my head where American negotiators must be proactive.

Trump’s peace negotiations have already gone down in history as the deadliest years for Ukraine’s civilian population since the start of the full-scale invasion.

I don’t know if anyone will remember the names of Witkoff and Kushner.

But history will certainly record how American negotiators, who had the opportunity to save a huge number of people, refused to raise uncomfortable questions before "humanist Putin."

[Jonathan Eyal @JEyal_RUSI]

I suppose someone responsible for sending hundreds of thousands of human beings to their death gives a particular meaning to the concept of a "humanitarian".

[Shashank Joshi @shashj]

Anthropic will be very surprised to learn that the US government can’t direct a private company to make or not make particular decisions.

[Daniel Hannan @DanielJHannan]

I make my living with words, but I cannot begin to describe how disgusting and degrading this is.

[Dr Michael Keegan🇺🇦 @michaelkeegan14]

The shaming of the USA. These people will Im sure in due course face jail.

[Gabriel Gatehouse @ggatehouse]

The latest cover of Private Eye is 😘

[Mitt Romney @MittRomney]

Churchill could have shortened WW2 by years if he had just “done a deal” with Hitler. George Washington could have done a deal to end the American Revolution. Zelenskyy is in good company.

[Tom Tugendhat @TomTugendhat]

President Putin is a murderer.
His soldiers use rape as a weapon.
He has launched wars costing thousands of lives.
His agents have stolen children and destroyed families.
Russia today is what President Reagan correctly called it: the evil empire.

[Caolan @CaolanReports]

Trumps team just described the people who bombed the Mariupol theatre as humanitarians

The word children was written outside