Downing Street has rejected the characterisation of Vladimir Putin as a “humanitarian” made by Donald Trump’s chief negotiator on the Ukraine war.
Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy, made the remark as he met with the Russian leader this week.
It comes as the US president has made a new push to end the Ukraine war, and is putting pressure on Kyiv to agree to a settlement.
No 10 suggested the Government was wholly at odds with the description of Mr Putin.
Asked about it by reporters, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: “We certainly do not recognise that characterisation, and 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 the 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’.”
Asked if the Government would be making the same argument directly to the American administration, the spokeswoman added: “We engage regularly at a range of levels with a range of partners on Ukraine, and I’m sure we will continue to do so.”
The spokeswoman’s words echoed earlier sentiments from Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander, who told LBC that Britain views Mr Putin “as somebody who illegally invaded Ukraine at the start of this conflict, who has been responsible for conduct by his government that included attempted assassinations on UK soil”.
He added: “We simply do not recognise the description of Vladimir Putin as a humanitarian.”
Following Mr Witkoff’s meeting with the Russian president, Moscow agreed in principle to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the US.
Mr Trump has suggested Russia and Ukraine are “maybe now the closest we’ve been” to ending the war.
Despite the apparent willingness to negotiate, Russia has continued to launch missile strikes at Kyiv.
Andy Burnham spoke with Finnish President Alexander Stubb on Wednesday evening, following a meeting between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Mr Witkoff in the Norwegian capital Oslo.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister and Mr Stubb both “underlined how it was crucial to maintain the momentum on Ukraine to end Russia’s unjustified attacks” in their phone call.
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