US particular envoy Steve Witkoff delivered a Russian medal to the grieving family of an American who was killed fighting for Russia in 2024, a senior administration official advised NCS.
Earlier this month, when Russian president Vladimir Putin gave the medal – the Order of Courage – to Witkoff, some observers noticed it as one thing of a diplomatic dig, provided that the American who was killed, Michael Gloss, 21, was the son of a senior CIA official.
But that wasn’t how Witkoff noticed it. The Order of Courage is a Russian Federation ornament usually given to Russian residents to acknowledge selfless acts of braveness and valor throughout occasions of emergency, catastrophe and warfare. For Witkoff, who misplaced a son in the opioid epidemic, shedding a baby is a traumatic expertise that transcends geopolitics. And he thought it worthwhile to give the medal to Juliane Gallina, the CIA’s deputy director for digital innovation, and her husband, in accordance to the official.
“She wept with her husband,” the senior administration official advised NCS.
For Witkoff, the second “was not about who he fought for, but rather the memories of our children and the overarching message of ‘Let’s end this war,’” the official advised NCS.
A CIA spokesperson issued a press release to NCS: “The entire CIA family is heartbroken for their loss. Juliane and her husband shared that ‘we adored our son and grieve his loss every moment. We appreciate privacy at this difficult time.’”
“Juliane Gallina and her family suffered an unimaginable personal tragedy in the spring of 2024 when her son Michael Gloss, who struggled with mental health issues, died while fighting in the conflict in Ukraine. CIA considers Michael’s passing to be a private family matter for the Gloss family – not a national security issue,” the spokesperson mentioned.
Witkoff has performed a big position in the US effort to finish Russia’s warfare in Ukraine, together with sitting alongside President Donald Trump in his summit with Putin in Alaska on Friday.
He advised NCS that the leaders made “game changing” agreements associated to safety ensures for Ukraine, although questions stay about how critical Putin is in pursuing a peace settlement.
Witkoff traveled to Moscow this month to meet with Putin, and likewise performed a task in talks with prime Russian and Ukrainian officers held in Saudi Arabia earlier this 12 months in order to work in the direction of ending the warfare.