The Trump administration is facing criticism for deploying the United States president’s golf partner Steve Witkoff and son in-law Jared Kushner as chief negotiators in no fewer than three sets of talks on big geopolitical issues.
Wendy Sherman, former assistant US secretary of state, told CNN it was “quite unusual and difficult [and] insane” to employ the same team to “do Ukraine, Iran and Gaza all at the same time”.
Tuesday’s sessions in Geneva involved mediated talks in the morning between the US and Iran and then in the afternoon between the US and Russia.
Witkoff (68) and Kushner (45) are billionaire property developers who have no expertise in international diplomacy.
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They provide a striking contrast with experienced envoy Sherman, who was advised by a team of nuclear physicists and professional diplomats while negotiating the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.
All parties abided by this agreement which limited Iranian uranium enrichment and stockpile, and provided for constant monitoring and regular inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In 2018, US president Donald Trump withdrew from the successful deal, imposed sanctions on Iran and threatened countries dealing with Iran.
Washington has mobilised an “armada” in the Arabian Sea to put pressure on Tehran to agree to new US demands to end its nuclear programme, export its stockpile of enriched uranium to a third party and accept UN inspections.
Sherman’s comments coincided with an article by opinion writer Harlan Ullman on The Hill Congressional political website in which he argued that the US president had appointed men who “are deeply conflicted, with outside business interests that would normally be disqualifying”.
Witkoff has, reportedly, pursued joint ventures with Ukraine on rare earth minerals while Kushner manages $2 billion for Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
Trump has claimed he has brought peace to Gaza, which remains half occupied by Israel while the rest is besieged and blockaded.
According to the Gaza health ministry, more than 600 Palestinians have been killed since a ceasefire came into effect last year on October 10th. Trump’s peace plan has yet to bring security, governance or reconstruction.
Russia-Ukraine peace talks ended abruptly on Wednesday without a breakthrough. During Russia’s four-year war in Ukraine an estimated 1.2 million have been killed or wounded or are missing.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has charged the US with preparing to cede his country’s territory to Russia. There have been unconfirmed reports that the US has discussed secret business deals with Russia.
Meanwhile, at Tehran’s insistence, current talks focus solely on the nuclear issue although the Trump administration wants to end Iran’s meddling in regional conflicts using proxy militias.
Washington also insists Tehran must reduce or eliminate its ballistic missiles, which Iran argues provide it with deterrence against attack by the US and by Israel.
