Susan Collins says Putin is "certainly not a humanitarian"
Susan CollinsRepublican U.S. senator from Maine
Asked about Witkoff's remark while campaigning, Collins calls Putin a warmonger and a thug who is not a humanitarian and is the aggressor in the war against Ukraine.
“I would describe Putin as a warmonger, a thug. He's certainly not a humanitarian. He is the aggressor in the war against Ukraine.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Steve Witkoff calls Putin a "humanitarian" after Russia frees Stephen Hubbard; senators from both parties object
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a humanitarian in St. Petersburg on October 21, 2026, after Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American held for more than four years. Republican Sens. Thom Tillis, John Cornyn, Joni Ernst and Susan Collins and Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin rejected the description. Asked whether he would describe Putin the same way, President Donald Trump said the label could be used for the purpose of freeing Hubbard, but that he would not say anything one way or the other.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
CBS News report on reaction to Witkoff's remark. It quotes Trump at a White House roundtable, posts by Sens. Thom Tillis, John Cornyn and Joni Ernst and Rep. Don Bacon, Sen. Susan Collins on the campaign trail, and former ambassador William Taylor in an interview with CBS News.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
CBS News reports that Collins was asked about Witkoff's comment on the campaign trail.
After the quotation
CBS News notes that Collins has also been critical of the administration.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case looks at Witkoff calling Putin a humanitarian. Collins rejects that description and calls Putin a warmonger, so we labeled it a condemnation.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Steve Witkoff
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The Dispute Index. "Susan Collins says Putin is "certainly not a humanitarian"". First published: 2026-10-26. Last updated: 2026-10-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/6848-asked-about-witkoff-s-remark-while-campaigning-collins