US Envoy Coached Russia on Selling Ukraine Peace Plan to Trump, Says Report
Leaked recording exposes secret U.S.-Russia script for Ukraine peace deal.
On October 14, 2025, U.S. Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, still riding the wave of success from the Gaza hostage release and ceasefire, placed a carefully calculated five-minute call to Yuri Ushakov, Vladimir Putin’s most senior Foreign Policy Adviser. In a recording reviewed and transcribed by Bloomberg, Witkoff explicitly coached the Kremlin on the precise messaging that would resonate with Donald Trump, open with warm congratulations for the Gaza triumph, portray Trump as “a real peace man,” express Russia’s full support for the Middle East deal, and then float the idea of replicating the 20-point Gaza framework for Ukraine — all before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived at the White House on October 17.
The Kremlin followed the script almost word-for-word. Two days later, on October 16, Putin initiated a two-and-a-half-hour call with Trump, praised the Gaza achievement, and laid the groundwork for deeper cooperation. Subsequent backchannel meetings — including Witkoff’s Miami encounter with Russian Direct Investment Fund head Kirill Dmitriev — accelerated the process. By early November, a 28-point U.S. peace proposal surfaced that largely aligns with longstanding Russian demands: de facto recognition of Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and parts of Donbas, withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from still-contested eastern territories to create a Russian-controlled demilitarized buffer, and a frozen conflict line in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
The blueprint immediately placed Kyiv under extraordinary pressure. Senior U.S. officials warned that rejection could lead to the abrupt cutoff of critical intelligence sharing and military support. Only after intense pushback from Zelenskiy and weekend negotiations involving Secretary of State Marco Rubio did Washington agree to scale back some concessions and slow the timeline, though core territorial elements remain contentious.
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These disclosures reveal a parallel diplomatic track conducted largely without Ukraine’s knowledge or consent, fueling accusations that Washington and Moscow are attempting to impose a settlement over Kyiv’s objections. European allies have voiced alarm at the prospect of rewarding aggression, while the episode underscores the highly personalized and unpredictable nature of Trump-era negotiations on one of the world’s most volatile conflicts.
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