The leak of Wiktoff's conversations with Moscow gives wings to Republican hawks against Russia

Washington / MoscowDonald Trump has dismissed leaks about the advice his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, gave to the Kremlin during the Ukraine negotiations. In a mid-October call obtained by Bloomberg, Witkoff recommended to Yuri Uishako, Vladimir Putin's international policy advisor, that he preempt Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the White House to secure Tomahawk missiles. Apparently, the advice worked, because Putin called Trump the day before the meeting with the Ukrainian, and it concluded without weapons for Kyiv. Trump not only failed to refute the report but also attempted to downplay the facts when questioned by reporters. "That's what a negotiator does. You say, 'They want this, you have to convince them of this.' It's a very standard way of negotiating. I imagine he must say the same thing in Ukraine." Trump claims he's not worried about whether his envoy is too pro-Russian, because this war "could last for years," and if Ukraine manages to strike a deal, "it will be great for both of us." However, the calm demeanor of the US president, who has tried to sweep the scandal under the rug, has not appeased Republican hawks against Russia. Some members of Congress have expressed their anger at the situation. "This is a serious problem. And one of the many reasons why these ridiculous sideshows and secret meetings must stop," wrote Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania in X. He added, "Let Secretary of State Marco Rubio do his job properly." Since Trump returned to the White House, he has appointed a string of special envoys for international affairs, with whom Rubio had expressed his displeasure. The Secretary of State has for months watched as the two major international portfolios that he should be leading as head of US diplomacy have been in the hands from a New York businessman with no diplomatic experience, but a very good friendship with TrumpThe success of the Gaza negotiations strengthened Witkoff's position in Trump's eyes, although it seems that in recent days Rubio has been able to hold his own. Rubio's intervention has meant, for example, that the initial proposal negotiated in secret with Russia has been watered down and has dropped some of Moscow's demands, such as not allowing NATO troops in Ukraine. The Secretary of State, who is pushing for even more aggressive military action against Venezuela, persuaded Trump to redraft a proposal that is more of a middle ground between the demands of Moscow and Kyiv. Although this will likely delay the talks on ending the war again. Now Rubio can use the scandal to climb back up the ranks in the president's inner circle and regain control of US foreign policy. It is also possible that in Congress, after the breakdown of discipline over the Epstein papers, the anti-Russia hawks will be less hesitant to pressure Trump.

Tips for buttering up Trump

According to Bloomberg leaks, Witkoff also suggested to Ushakov that the Russian president cite the 20-point peace plan between Israel and Hamas as an example to suggest that a similar document between Russia and Ukraine would be possible. He advised Putin to congratulate Trump on the results in the Middle East and to make it clear that Russia had supported and respected the US leader as a "man of peace." "From there, it will be a very good call," Witkoff said.

Trump's envoy also told Ushakov, "I told the president that Russia has always wanted a peace agreement, that's what I believe." He added, demonstrating that he has always conceived of conflict resolution as a transaction, unlike Putin, who demands addressing its root causes: "I know what it will take to close the deal: Donetsk and perhaps a land swap somewhere. But instead of talking like that, let's talk with more hope because I believe we will reach an agreement and that the president..."

Said and done. The day before Zelensky's arrival in Washington, at Moscow's initiative, Putin called Trump. The conversation was described as "very productive," and the US president announced an imminent summit in Budapest between the two presidents, which ultimately stalled in the planning stages. The following day, the White House leader denied the Ukrainian president the missiles he had hinted for weeks he would deliver.

The Kremlin's stratagem

A few days later, Witkoff met in Miami with Kirill Dmitrievanother of the Russian negotiators. It was there that the famous initial 28-point peace plan, which the United States sent to Moscow and Kyiv last week, began to take shape. Dmitriev and Ushakov then discussed in a telephone conversation—to which Bloomberg also had access—what strategy to follow and what points to send to Washington so that the proposal would suit their interests.

"We need the maximum, don't you think? Otherwise, what's the point of giving them anything?" Ushakov asked. "I think we'll draw up a document from our position and send it to them informally, making it clear that it's all informal. And we'll let them make their own document. I don't think they'll take our version exactly, but at least it will be as close as possible," Dmitriev replied.

This conversation proves that, as several analysts have pointed out, the 28-point text that sent the Trump administration scrambling It contains some expressions that are not genuine English and appear to be translated directly from Russian. Ukraine and its European allies denounced the clauses as highly favorable to Russia, and Zelensky was forced to address the nation in which, faced with US pressure to accept the agreement, he warned of the risk of losing national dignity.

Conflicting accounts in Moscow

Despite the publication providing verbatim transcripts of the phone conversations, Dmitriev asserted that the information is "false." "Peace continues to advance despite the desperate attempts by warmongers and the war lobby to sabotage it," he added. Uixakov, however, implicitly contradicted him by not denying it. He condemned the leak of private conversations and admitted that he sometimes communicates with Witkoff via WhatsApp, which is surprising because it is not a secure messaging system, calls on this platform are prohibited in Russia, and it is owned by a company declared extremist by the Kremlin. The Russian advisor also confirmed that Trump's envoy will visit Moscow next week.

Active participation of the European Union

After several drafts for peace between Russia and UkraineThe European Union reiterated on Wednesday the need to help Ukraine defend itself and to promote an agreement that provides a just and lasting peace and clearly identifies Russia as the aggressor. "We see zero indication that Russia wants peace or a ceasefire," said the EU's foreign policy chief, Kakha Kallas, after an informal video call with the EU's foreign ministers. "Russian military and military spending must be limited to prevent further attacks," she insisted.