Media reports: US envoy Witkoff advises Kremlin advisers on Ukraine plans
According to media reports, US special envoy Steve Witkoff gave advice to Kremlin advisers on how Russian leader Vladimir Putin should propose the Ukraine deal to US President Donald Trump. This is according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday of a transcript of an October 14 phone call between Vitkov and Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov.
The phone conversation appeared to show the origins of a 28-point plan backed by President Trump that is widely seen as favoring Moscow. The plan requires significant territorial concessions from Ukraine and a commitment not to join NATO.
According to a transcript reported by Bloomberg, Witkoff said during the conversation that he believed Russia – which launched a war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022 – “always wanted a peace deal.” Witkoff also expressed his “deepest respect for President Putin.”
The US envoy advised Ushakov that Putin praised Trump in a telephone call for the ceasefire achieved in the Gaza Strip. Witkoff recommended that this call take place before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House scheduled for October 17.
The US special envoy suggested creating a 20-point peace plan for Ukraine “as we did for Gaza.” Witkoff continued that he knows what is needed to complete the peace plan: “Donetsk and a territory exchange somewhere,” he said, referring to territory in eastern Ukraine claimed by Russia.
The phone call between Trump and Putin took place on October 16. The US president called it “very productive” and questioned Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk missiles – a day before he hosted Zelensky at the White House.
The 28-point plan to end the war put forward on November 21 has been replaced by a proposal that takes Ukraine’s interests into greater consideration. Trump said on Tuesday that he had asked Witkoff to travel to Moscow to discuss “some controversial issues” with Putin.
White House communications director Steven Cheung told AFP that the report showed that Witkoff “spoke almost daily with Russian and Ukrainian representatives to achieve peace, and that’s what President Trump ordered him to do.”
Bloomberg also reported a conversation between Ushakov and Kremlin economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who was heavily involved in the talks with US officials. According to reports, the conversation took place on October 29. “I think we will prepare a paper about our position and I will circulate it informally,” Dmitriev said. “I don’t think they will adopt our version exactly, but it will be at least as close to our version as possible,” he continued, apparently referring to US officials.
The Axios portal reported that Dmitriev spent three days with Witkoff and other US representatives in Miami, Florida, from October 24 to 26.
AFP
