U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff advised a senior aid to Vladimir Putin on how to pitch a peace plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine, according to a transcript of a call from October 14 published by Bloomberg News. The White House has not contested the veracity of the transcript.

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Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

A transcript published by Bloomberg reveals that U.S. Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff held discussions with a senior adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin in mid-October, reportedly advising on how to frame a Ukraine peace plan to appeal to former President Donald Trump. The call included suggestions on praising Trump for his role in a Gaza ceasefire and arranging a call between Trump and Putin before Ukrainian President Zelensky's visit to Washington.

The initial draft of the U.S. peace plan was seen by European allies and analysts as closely aligning with Russia's demands. Trump, when questioned about the transcript, stated he had not heard the audio but described such negotiations as standard practice. The Kremlin characterized the leak as an attempt to disrupt potential peace efforts for Ukraine.

U.S. envoy Witkoff coached Russia to pitch Ukraine peace plan to Trump

Was U.S. Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff working behind the scenes with a top Putin adviser to set up a peace deal for Ukraine a month before it was announced? Yesterday, U.S. media outlet Bloomberg published a transcript of a call from mid-October between Whitkoff and a senior aide to Vladimir Putin. Yeah, because listen to what I'm saying. I just want you to say, maybe just say this to President Putin because you know I have the deepest respect for President Putin. Yes, yes. Maybe he says to President Trump, you know, Steve and Yuri discussed a very similar 20-point plan to peace that could be something that we think might move the needle a little bit. We're open to those sorts of things, to explore what it's going to take to get a peace deal done. Now, me to you, I know what it's going to take to get a peace deal done, Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere. Media outlets have stated that Whitkoff appeared to be advising Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov on how to pitch a deal that Trump would be willing to back. In the transcript, Whitkoff also asked Ushakov to tell Putin to flatter Trump with praise for the Gaza ceasefire agreement and to plan a call between the two presidents before a visit by Vladimir Zelensky to Washington. Last week, the initial draft of the U.S.'s 28-point peace plan for Ukraine was widely considered by European allies and independent analysts to be aligned with Russia's major demands. On Tuesday, Trump was questioned by journalists about the leaked transcript on Air Force One. Have you heard this audio that Bloomberg has of Whitkoff coaching the Russians on how to appeal to you? I haven't heard it, no, but that's a standard thing, you know, because he's going to sell this to Ukraine, he's going to sell Ukraine to Russia. That's what he's, that's what a dealmaker does. For its part, the Kremlin has called the leaked transcript an attempt to hinder a possible peace deal for Ukraine.

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U.S. envoy Witkoff coached Russia to pitch Ukraine peace plan to Trump

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