President Donald Trump defended his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, after a leaked transcript showed Witkoff coaching a senior Russian official on how to approach the U.S. president about a Ukraine peace proposal. The October 14 conversation published this week appeared to reveal advice to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov on how to frame a pitch to Trump, including urging Russia to congratulate the president and cast him as a “man of peace.”
According to the transcript, Witkoff suggested Russia propose a peace framework based loosely on a Gaza-ceasefire model, urging more optimistic language and even potential territorial concessions. During the call, he reportedly told Ushakov: “I know what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere.” He added that rather than making demands, Russia should frame the deal more “hopefully” a tactic he believed would get better reception from Trump.
Witkoff also recommended that Russia reach out to Trump before a planned White House visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to smooth the path for a broader Ukraine-Russia agreement. Shortly afterward, Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone, a call many now see as the immediate result of the envoy’s proposed sequence.
When pressed by reporters, Trump rejected concerns over the leak, saying he had not heard the audio himself but that “that’s what a dealmaker does” stressing that Witkoff needed to “sell this to Ukraine” as well as Russia. He insisted the approach was standard diplomacy rather than undue favoritism.
Despite the White House’s stance, the leak quickly triggered widespread concern. Critics argue the transcript effectively shows U.S. mediation appearing to echo Moscow’s demands especially on territorial concessions calling into question the neutrality of the U.S.-led peace effort. U.S. lawmakers including one Republican voiced alarm, with one calling Witkoff “untrustworthy” and urging his dismissal.
On Russia’s side, Ushakov did not dispute the authenticity of the call but suggested the leak was meant to sabotage negotiation efforts calling it a likely act of “hybrid warfare.” Moscow said it had not released the recording, and promised to raise the issue formally with Washington.
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The leak also cast a shadow over the 28-point peace plan developed in recent weeks, which critics viewed as heavily weighted toward Russian interests and demanding Ukraine concede much of its eastern territory. The plan has since been “fine-tuned” by U.S. and Ukrainian teams following heated European and Kyiv pushback. Trump has postponed a hard deadline for Ukraine to accept the proposal, stating he will meet with the leaders only once a final deal is “over.”
With tensions rising and trust eroding on all sides, the damaged perception of impartiality could further complicate efforts to end the war. Some analysts warn that Moscow may simply double down rather than negotiate. Others in Washington are calling for a reset of the peace process under a framework that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and does not rely on back-channel coaching.
