US President Donald Trump has defended 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 president.
Trump told reporters on Wednesday he had not heard the audio, but that Witkoff was doing what a dealmaker does to sell the peace plan to both Russia and Ukraine.
The leaked call from last month emerged after a 28-point draft peace plan presented by the US largely reflected Russian positions on its full-scale war in Ukraine.
Witkoff has visited Moscow several times this year and will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin again next week. He has not held talks in Kyiv.
He has never gone to Kyiv in his role as special envoy, although other US officials, including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, visited Kyiv this week, and Trump suggests he will hold further talks with the Ukrainians.
Diplomatic talks have continued after the initial draft plan received criticism from Ukrainian and European leaders for being too favorable to Russia. The plan included proposals for a handover to Russia of Ukrainian-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine.
The plan has since been revised to better align with Ukraine's interests, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed readiness to meet Trump for discussions on sensitive points.
In the leaked audio obtained and shared as a transcript by Bloomberg, Witkoff seemed to advise Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy adviser, on how to get on Trump's good side. Trump characterized the situation as a very standard form of negotiations.
The call reportedly includes discussions on ending the war, with Witkoff suggesting a peace proposal similar to what was used in Gaza.
Witkoff’s mention of Zelensky’s anticipated visit to the White House appears linked to a follow-up call between Trump and Putin that took place just before the Ukrainian leader's visit.
Amid backlash, Russian officials have downplayed the leak's implications, suggesting it was a tactic to hinder negotiations. The ongoing complexities surrounding the peace talks indicate a challenging path ahead for US-Russia diplomacy.
