Kyiv, Ukraine - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday criticized statements by White House envoy Steve Witkoff, who recently praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin and appeared to legitimize Russia's annexation of some Ukrainian regions.

The comments by Witkoff, in an with Fox News, were seen in Kyiv as another sign of how far some in US President Donald Trump's administration have shifted away from Ukraine toward Russia.

"A lot of the information spread by some people and the person you mentioned... are very much in line with the messages of the Kremlin," Zelensky said, answering a question on the interview given by Witkoff.

Trump's envoy said "there's a view within the country of Russia that these are Russian territories".

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He cited a series of referendums conducted by Russia in occupied territories that purported to show support for Moscow's rule, but were condemned as illegitimate by Ukraine and much of the international community.

"No one can legitimize these referendums because they were held at gunpoint," Zelensky said, adding that "no one recognises these territories as Russian".

In another interview with with the right-wing podcast host Tucker Carlson, Witkoff said he "liked" Putin and added, "I don't regard Putin as a bad guy. That is a complicated situation, that war, and all the ingredients that led up to it."