Washington: White House envoy Steve Witkoff praised Vladimir Putin in a trustworthy way and said Russian leaders told him that he prayed for his “friend” U.S. President Donald Trump when he was shot.

Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow last week and told US Media that the talks – involving discussions on the path to ending Russia’s war in Ukraine – were constructive and solution-based.

In an interview with right-wing podcast host Tucker Carlson, the envoy said he had seen Putin as a “bad guy” and that the Russian president, a “great” leader, attempted to end the deadly three-year clash between Moscow and Kyiv.

“I like him. I thought he was directly with me,” Witkov said in an interview aired on Friday.

“I don’t think Putin is a bad guy. It’s a complicated situation, that war and all the elements that lead to the situation.”

He also described the “personal” elements of the discussion, with Putin recalling his reaction to his July 2024 attempt to assassinate Trump assassination as Republicans held a campaign in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Putin “Tell me a story… about when the president was shot, he went to the local church, met with the pastor and prayed for the president.”

“Not because […] He could be the president of the United States, but because he has friendship with him and is praying for his friends. ”

Witkov added that Putin commissioned a beautiful portrait of President Trump of a leading Russian artist,” and asked the envoy to bring him back to Trump.

“It was such a cordial moment.”

Witkoff praised the president, who has long been regarded as an authoritarian rival, underscoring the dramatic shift in Washington’s dealing with the Kremlin as Trump takes office as his second presidency.

Vickov also said that Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky faces a difficult choice and the president should realize that it is time for him to “reach an agreement” with Moscow.

Witkov said Zelensky was “in a very, very difficult situation, but he was against a nuclear state.” “So, he had to know that he was going to fall. Now is the best time for him to reach an agreement.”

Witkov’s comments are essentially posted on a friendly basis. Carlson is a controversial predecessor Fox News Star, last year, gave Putin a widely considered rare but gentle interview.

Carlson has also been the main breeder of the American pro-Kremlin narrative.