Witkoff presents Putin's medal to the Folden US fighter family 2024

Witkoff presents Putin's medal to the Folden US fighter family 2024

The US special envoy Steve Witkoff brought a Russian medal to the grieving family of an American who fought for Russia in 2024. This was confirmed by a high-ranking representative of the US government to CNN.

Diplomatic gesture or tragedy?

At the beginning of this month, President Vladimir Putin presented the medal - the orders of bravery - to Witkoff. Some observers saw it a diplomatic message because the American killed, Michael Gloss, was the son of a high-ranking CIA official at the age of 21.

An act of humanity

Witkoff, on the other hand, did not look at this action through the lens of geopolitical tensions. The order of bravery is usually awarded to Russian citizens to appreciate selfless deeds of courage and bravery during emergencies, disasters and wars. For Witkoff, who himself lost a son through the opioid crisis, the loss of a child is a traumatic experience that goes beyond geopolitical differences. He thought it was important to hand over the medal to Juliane Gallina, the deputy director of digital innovation of the CIA, and her husband, said the representative.

Emotional encounter

"She cried with her husband," said the high -ranking official of the emotional encounter.

An appeal for peace

For Witkoff, this moment was not only a memory of who the deceased had fought for, but also put the memories of our children and the central message in the foreground: "Let us end this war," said the official towards CNN.

Reactions of the CIA

A spokeswoman for the CIA gave a statement to CNN: "The entire CIA family is shaken by her loss. Juliane and her husband said: 'We loved our son and mourn his loss at any moment. We appreciate our private sphere in this difficult time.'"

Entry in history

"Juliane Gallina and her family suffered an unimaginable personal tragedy in spring 2024 when her son Michael Gloss, who fought with psychological problems, died during the conflict in Ukraine. The CIA's death sees Michael's death as a private family matter for the Gloss family - not as a national security question," added the spokeswoman.

The way to end the war

Witkoff has played an important role in the US efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine. This also included that on Friday he was sitting alongside President Donald Trump at the summit with Putin in Alaska. He told CNN that the leaders had made "playing players" with regard to the security guarantees for Ukraine, although there are questions about how seriously Putin affects a peace agreement.

Talks in Moscow

This month, Witkoff traveled to Moscow to meet Putin and also played a role in the conversations with high-ranking Russian and Ukrainian officials who took place in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of the year to deal with the end of the war.