When Hamas released hostages, no one called the Hamas operatives “humanitarians.”
But when Russia released a hostage, President Trump’s envoy Steven Witkoff called Vladimir Putin a humanitarian.
The character of Hamas was measured by the fact that it kidnapped hostages to begin with. Putin’s character is measured by the fact that he arrested Stephen Hubbard to begin with.
Hamas kidnaps; Russia puts on a courtroom circus, convicting Hubbard on fake charges, just like it convicted the Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershkovich on fake charges.
Not even mentioning the fundamentals: Hamas operatives are murderers. Same for Putin. He went to war against Ukraine in 2022 and in the process has killed not only Ukrainians but some 300,000 of his own men.
What an embarrassment for a high ranking US representative to call Putin a “humanitarian.” Here is Witkoff’s obsequy in full:
“The president [Trump] sends his thanks” (Witkoff told Putin). “Our whole nation sends its thanks. You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that. I commend you.”
Even worse was President Trump’s statement that the US did not need to offer any quid pro quo for Stephen Hubbard’s release. Is Trump really so blind? Quite the contrary — the US gave up in spades. While no Russian national was released for Hubbard, President Trump has inexplic- ably:
• strengthened Russia’s hand against Ukraine;
• frozen out Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky from negotiations over the future of Ukraine;
• strengthened Russia’s energy industry with a deal to buy diesel;
• cancelled the recently passed sanctions against Russia;
• pressured Zelensky to stop striking Russian refineries even as Russia continues to attack Ukrainian energy infrastructure — shifting the blame onto Zelensky for Trump’s own failures in forcing Iran’s hand to halt the energy crisis it has launched against the West.
As Russia was losing the war, Trump has gone to great lengths to rescue him, all on the grounds that Trump is bringing peace to Russia and Ukraine. Isn’t it worth it, one might ask, to flatter Putin — call him a humanitarian — if it will lead to the end of this bloody war that Russian launched? Isn’t a lie a tiny price to pay if it will save countless human lives?
Not, it isn’t a tiny price, if the peace that Trump will bring is like the “peace” he brought to Gaza. For Trump, peace in Gaza has meant mostly that he declared it to be so, not that it really is so.
Under Trump’s peace in Gaza, Hamas is to be disarmed. But since the Trump-brokered ceasefire in Gaza on Oct. 10, 2025, Hamas has not disarmed. Nor has it stopped trying to rebuild its forces. Nor has it stopped firing on Israeli troops. Nor has it stopped brutally wiping out its Palestinian opponents, even publicly executing them.
Nor has Israel sat idly by and allow its troops to be fired on by the supposedly disarmed or disarming Hamas.
One may be forgiven for seeing any peace that Trump might bring to Ukraine being the same. “‘Peace, peace.’ But there is no peace,” exclaimed Prophet Jeremiah.
Besides, there is no evidence that Putin will be moved to end the war against Ukraine for having been called a humanitarian. The language that Putin understands is that of imperial Russia and the language of force.
Before Trump pressured Zelensky to stop hitting Russian energy infrastructure, Zelensky was gaining the upper hand in the war against Russia — an unimaginable prospect when the war began for years ago.
So what’s the gain from Witkoff’s genuflection before Putin? Not even Hubbard’s release. That was already arranged. Surely no Trump-Putin-peace that will leave Ukraine’s territory intact. So what’s the gain?
This — from Republican Sen. Thom Tillis:
“You [Witkoff] should go back to Ukraine and ask the families of the children Putin has kidnapped and murdered whether they agree you friend Putin is a ‘humanitarian.’”
This — from Republican Sen. John Cornyn: “No. Putin is a stone cold killer.”
Beyond the genuflection is the delusion. Trump said he’s lightened up on Russia all around in order to bring Putin to the negotiating table. Even if he comes, so what? Just as Trump does not grasp that Hamas operates by a different mentality, he does not understand that Putin operates by a different mentality. For Hamas, religious fanaticism supersedes all. For Putin, Russian imperial dreams supersede all. Putin can only be defeated, not negotiated. Zelensky understands. Trump does not.
By the way, Stephen Hubbard went into the Russian prison in good health. He came out in bad health. “Putin. Humanitarian.” An oxymoron.
© IJN 2026
