The Global Story
The Global Story
Russia and Israel put Steve Witkoff's diplomacy to the test
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11 September 2025
26 minutes
Available for over a year
Donald Trump wants to broker peace in two of the world’s most intractable wars: Gaza and Ukraine. But this week, both crises have escalated – and the man he’s tasked with solving them has no previous diplomatic experience.
Steve Witkoff, a real estate mogul and Trump’s closest confidante, is now at the center of American foreign policy as the ‘envoy for everything’.
On today’s Global Story, we speak with the BBC’s State Department Correspondent, Tom Bateman, and ask whether Witkoff’s unconventional style is a weakness – or a strength.
Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Aron Keller
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Image: President Donald Trump and Steve Witkoff. Sarah Yenesel/EPA/Shutterstock
