Journalism of Courage
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who is the chief interlocutor of President Donald Trump’s administration with the Russian government, last month allegedly advised a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin on how to pitch the Ukraine peace plan to the US president, which aims to bring the nearly four year old war between Russia and Ukraine to an end, Bloomberg reported quoting transcript of the call on Tuesday.
According to October 14 call transcript published in the report, Trump’s envoy Witkoff reportedly advised Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov that the Russian president should call Trump to congratulate him for the Gaza peace deal and that Moscow supports the Gaza peace plan sponsored by America and that he respects President Trump as a man of peace.
In the phone call that lasted over five minutes, Witkoff also advised to set-up a Putin-Trump call before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House later that week and use the Gaza agreement as a way in. “We put a 20-point Trump plan together that was 20 points for peace and I’m thinking maybe we do the same thing with you,” Witkoff told Ushakov, according to the recording of the conversation.
The Bloomberg report was published as Trump on Tuesday said the 28-point peace proposal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine has been “fine-tuned” and announced he’s sending Witkoff to meet with Putin. Trump, while aboard the Air Force One responded to Witkoff’s reported approach to the Russians in the call as “standard” negotiating procedure.
“He’s got to sell this to Ukraine. He’s got to sell Ukraine to Russia. That’s what a dealmaker does,” Trump said as he flew to his home in Florida on Tuesday night, AP reported.
Ukraine President Zelenskyy has said it is ready to advance the peace plan, and added that he will discuss disputed points with the US president.
(with inputs from AP)
