US President Donald Trump has supported special envoy Steve Witkoff, asserting that Witkoff was acting in accordance with standard negotiation practices following the emergence of a leaked recording. The audio reportedly features Witkoff advising a Russian official on how to engage positively with Trump.
During a press conference, Trump noted that he had not listened to the audio but believed Witkoff was executing his role as a dealmaker by promoting the US peace plan to both Russia and Ukraine. This leaked call surfaced soon after the US presented a 28-point draft peace plan, which was met with criticism from Ukrainian and European leaders for its perceived biases toward Russia, including proposals for transferring Ukrainian-held territory to Russia.
Witkoff has conducted multiple visits to Moscow in recent months and is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next week. However, he has not traveled to Kyiv for his role as special envoy, while other US officials, including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, have made visits to Ukraine.
The leaked audio, shared by Bloomberg, comes from a call on October 14, where Witkoff appeared to discuss strategies to enhance relations with Trump. In the conversation, Witkoff expressed that cooperation between the two nations had been challenging, emphasizing the importance of communication between Putin and Trump. He suggested framing their dialogue in a positive light, indicating that progress could be made.
As subsequent discussions continued, a two-and-a-half hour phone conversation between Trump and Putin occurred just as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was traveling to Washington. Following this call, Trump expressed concerns about escalating the conflict but also indicated that he believed Putin wanted to reach a resolution.
Russian official Yuri Ushakov commented on the leak, stating it likely served to hinder relations rather than improve them. The source of the leak remains unclear, although there are indications of ongoing discussions within Russian diplomatic circles regarding the peace proposal.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3r7xr94ln8o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss