Donald Trump has defended his special envoy Steve Witkoff as doing the standard thing after a leaked recording appeared to show him advising a Russian official on how to appeal to the U.S. president.
Trump told reporters that he had not heard the audio but asserted that Witkoff was merely executing the role of a dealmaker to promote a U.S.-authored peace plan to both Russia and Ukraine.
The leaked call from last month emerged days after unveiling a 28-point draft peace initiative that reflects Russian interests concerning the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Witkoff, who has visited Moscow multiple times this year, is scheduled to meet Vladimir Putin next week. Notably, he has not visited Kyiv, despite other U.S. officials having traveled there recently.
The initial draft faced backlash from Ukrainian and European leaders, prompting revisions to better represent Ukraine’s interests. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed readiness to meet Trump to discuss key points.
In the leaked audio obtained by Bloomberg, Witkoff appears to recommend strategies to Russian official Yuri Ushakov meant to enhance diplomatic relations ahead of a call between Trump and Putin. Witkoff’s remarks, taken as a standard negotiation approach, suggested reinforcing Trump’s reputation as a peacemaker in dealings regarding the conflict.
As diplomatic talks continue, implications regarding the peace plan remain uncertain, amplifying debates over its fairness and potential outcomes. Witkoff’s upcoming Moscow visit and the response to the leaked audio signal ongoing complexity in U.S.-Russia relations.
