Downing Street has rejected the description of Vladimir Putin as a “humanitarian” made by Donald Trump’s chief negotiator on the Ukraine war.

Steve Witkoff met the Russian president in St Petersburg on Wednesday as he sought to make a new push to end the invasion of Ukraine, with the US putting pressure on Kyiv to agree to a settlement.

In a Russian state media video clip posted on X, Witkoff told Putin: “You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also sir, and I salute that. I commend you.”

When asked about Witkoff’s description of Putin, a Downing Street spokesperson said: “We certainly do not recognise that characterisation, and President Putin has killed thousands of people, both innocent Ukrainians and his own Russian people, who he has sent to their deaths on the frontline.

“He is starving children and the elderly of the heat and warmth, and systematically targeting critical national infrastructure. Ukraine’s foreign minister summed it up well this morning when he said: ‘This night, the residents of Kyiv heard what Russian humanitarianism really sounds like.’”

Firefighters amid the wreckage left by Russian strikes on Kyiv on Thursday. Photograph: Ukrinform/Shutterstock

Asked if the government would make this argument directly to the US administration, the spokesperson said: “We engage regularly at a range of levels with a range of partners on Ukraine, and I’m sure we will continue to do so.”

Downing Street’s remarks came after the Scottish secretary, Douglas Alexander, told LBC that Britain viewed Putin as “somebody who illegally invaded Ukraine at the start of this conflict, who has been responsible for conduct by his government that included attempted assassinations on UK soil”.

Alexander added: “We simply do not recognise the description of Vladimir Putin as a humanitarian.”

After Witkoff met Putin, Russia agreed to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the US in principle. Trump has suggested Russia and Ukraine are “maybe now the closest we’ve been” to ending the war.

Despite this, Russia has continued to launch missile attacks at Ukraine, including a drone strike on Kharkiv as Putin and Witkoff spoke.

Last week, Andy Burnham welcomed Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Downing Street and backed the Ukrainian president amid Trump’s attacks.

Trump had suggested Zelenskyy should be replaced and declined to say whether Russia was responsible for the war.