President Trump defended special envoy Steve Witkoff after a leaked recording purportedly showed him advising a senior Russian aide on how to appeal to the US president over a proposed Ukraine peace plan.
Trump told reporters he had not listened to the tape but characterized Witkoff’s approach as typical dealmaking — trying to pitch the plan to both Moscow and Kyiv.
The leak surfaced shortly after a 28-point US draft peace proposal drew criticism for appearing to align closely with Russian demands.
European and Ukrainian leaders said the initial version favored Russia, prompting revisions to better reflect Ukraine’s positions and allied concerns.
Bloomberg published a transcript of what it said was an Oct.
14 call between Witkoff and Yuri Ushakov, a foreign-policy adviser to President Putin; the BBC has not independently verified the recording.
According to the transcript, Witkoff suggested ways Ushakov could flatter Trump and urged steps to arrange a presidential discussion.
In the reported exchange, Witkoff proposed presenting a concise multi-point proposal and encouraged Ushakov to frame overtures in a way that would appeal to Trump’s image as a peacemaker.
He also suggested a Putin-Trump conversation take place before Ukraine’s president met with the US leader.
Shortly afterward, Trump and Putin spoke for about two-and-a-half hours, a call that took place as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was heading to Washington.
By the time Zelensky arrived, Trump indicated he had grown wary of escalating the conflict by supplying longer-range missiles and expressed a belief that Putin wanted to end the war.
Witkoff has traveled to Moscow multiple times this year and is expected to meet Putin next week; he has not visited Kyiv in his role as special envoy.
Other US officials, including the secretary of the Army, have continued engagements in Ukraine, and Washington says further talks with Kyiv are planned.
Russian officials reacted angrily to the reports.
Ushakov suggested the leak was intended to obstruct diplomacy, while another Putin envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, accused the media of running coordinated smear campaigns after a separate transcript circulated.
The source of the leak remains unclear.
Diplomatic efforts are ongoing as the US and allies refine the peace proposal and leaders prepare for meetings aimed at resolving remaining sensitive issues.
