Donald Trump has defended his special envoy Steve Witkoff as doing the standard thing after a leaked recording appeared to show him advising a Russian official on how to appeal to the U.S. president.
Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he had not heard the audio, but asserted that Witkoff was conducting negotiations to sell a U.S.-authored peace plan to both Russia and Ukraine.
The leaked call surfaced shortly after the U.S. presented a 28-point draft peace plan aligning closely with Russian perspectives on resolving the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Witkoff has made multiple visits to Moscow this year and is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week.
Although Witkoff has yet to visit Kyiv, other U.S. officials have traveled there, with U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll recently visiting. Trump indicated he would continue discussions with Ukrainian officials.
The diplomatic engagement has occurred despite initial criticisms from Ukrainian and European leaders who viewed the draft plan as overly favorable to Russia, including proposals for territorial concessions in eastern Ukraine.
As the plan is being revised to better consider Ukraine's interests and those of European allies, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his willingness to meet Trump to address sensitive points in the negotiations.
In the leaked audio obtained and reported by Bloomberg, Witkoff seemed to counsel Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy adviser, on how to foster a positive rapport with Trump.
Witkoff remarked during the conversation that the Russian Federation has always desired a peace deal and proposed a structured approach to negotiations, suggesting the formulation of a 20-point peace proposal similar to past frameworks.
After the leak, Ushakov responded to Russian state media, suggesting the intent of the release was to obstruct negotiations, rather than facilitate relations.
The discussions and leaked details continue to highlight the delicate balance of diplomacy as the U.S. seeks to navigate a complex geopolitical landscape in the region.
