US special envoy Steve Witkoff is said to have advised Kremlin advisers on how to convince Donald Trump of a peace plan in Ukraine. The reaction was very bad.
According to a Bloomberg report, 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 comes from a transcript of a phone call on October 14 between Witkoff and Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday.
Although Trump himself stressed that he had not heard the tape and spoke of a “completely normal form of negotiation”, the subsequent reaction was terrible – including from Trump’s own party.
Reaction to Witkoff: “Traitor” who “makes Trump look stupid”
That Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick spoke on Platform X about “big issues” and called for an end to “secret side channels.” Don Bacon’s party colleague became even clearer: “It was clear that Witkoff was completely on Russia’s side,” he wrote. “He cannot be trusted to lead these negotiations. Would an agent paid by Russia do worse than him? He should be fired.”
Also Democratic Congressman Michael McFaul express himself clearly. “Witkoff makes Trump look like a fool. I would be angry if an employee made me look so bad by presenting the Russian plan as mine without telling me about it.” His conclusion: “Given all of Witkoff’s mistakes, it’s time for Trump to finally let Rubio take the job Trump elected and Rubio the Senate elected.”
Become Party colleague Ted Lieu becomes clearer. “A true traitor. Steve Witkoff should be working for the United States, not Russia.”
Press reaction to Witkoff report: “Even in the Trump era, this is stunning”
Journalists also reacted clearly. “Here, Steve Witkoff, an American official, gives instructions to a Kremlin adviser on how Putin should behave toward Trump. Even in the Trump era, this is astonishing,” he wrote. Oliver Carroll of The Economist. John Hudson of the Washington Post added. “If you’re Ushakov, you’re probably a little worried about the security of your communications.”
Christopher Miller of the Financial Times called it “an extraordinary story. It’s surprising, even if we’re used to Witkoff. Here he gives direct advice to Russian officials about how Putin should deal with Trump, while demonstrating a fundamental and blatant misunderstanding of Putin’s goals and the war itself.”
His partner Pyotr Sauer from the British “Guardians”. calling it “amazing” that the recording exists. “This also shows that Witkoff still does not understand all of Putin’s demands.” Michael Weiss of “The Insider” asked “how often does Witkoff make promises he can’t keep and then fail to keep them — to both Trump and Putin?”
The press is also concerned about questions about “Bloomberg” sources. “Whoever did this was probably trying to help Kiev, as this transcript provides an argument for critics of the plan who call it a surrender to Russia,” speculated John Galtivanger of Foreign Policy. And “Politico” reporter Hans-Joachim von der Burchard have a guess. “One might be tempted to assume that American intelligence passed along this information to uncover Witkoff’s machinations.”
Witkoff advised Putin to have a brief phone call with Trump – which had an impact on Ukraine
According to a transcript obtained 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 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.
