A leaked phone conversation has exposed surprising details about behind-the-scenes diplomacy surrounding the Ukraine peace negotiations, revealing that Donald Trump's special envoy coached Russian officials on how to approach the US President.
Coaching Russia on Presidential Flattery
The October 14 call between Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Yuri Ushakov, who serves as top foreign policy aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, focused primarily on arranging a direct conversation between Trump and Putin. According to the Bloomberg report that uncovered the recording, Witkoff provided specific instructions on how Russian officials should compliment Trump during the proposed call.
Witkoff explicitly told Ushakov to begin the conversation by congratulating Trump on his achievements and emphasizing that he views the American leader as "a man of peace." The Trump aide suggested the exact phrasing: "I would make the call and just reiterate that you congratulate the president on this achievement... that you respect that he is a man of peace, and you're just, you're really glad to have seen it happen."
Ushakov appeared receptive to the coaching, responding positively to Witkoff's suggestions and indicating that Putin would indeed deliver the requested compliments during the call.
Strategic Advice on Peace Negotiations
Beyond the flattery tactics, Witkoff shared substantive thoughts about what would be necessary to achieve a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. He privately suggested to the Russian official that a potential deal would likely require Ukraine to cede control of Donetsk and possibly participate in some form of land swap arrangement.
The Trump envoy proposed modeling the Ukraine negotiations after the 20-point Gaza peace plan that he had previously helped broker. Witkoff told Ushakov, "We put a 20-point Trump plan together that was 20 points for peace, and I'm thinking maybe we do the same thing with you," indicating a structured approach to the complex negotiations.
Witkoff emphasized the importance of maintaining a hopeful tone in discussions, urging a shift away from hardline positions toward more optimistic dialogue about reaching an agreement.
Timing and Political Implications
The timing of the October 14 conversation proved particularly significant, as it occurred just days before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's scheduled visit to the White House. Witkoff urged Ushakov to arrange the Trump-Putin call before Zelensky's Friday meeting, indicating the strategic importance of the timing in the negotiation process.
When questioned about the leaked recording, President Trump claimed he hadn't personally heard it but defended his envoy's actions as standard negotiation practice. The US President stated, "Well, I haven't heard it, no. But that's a standard thing, you know, because he's got to sell this to Ukraine. He's got to sell Ukraine to Russia. That's what a dealmaker does."
Trump further explained that such coaching represents normal negotiation tactics where each party must understand what the other side needs to reach an agreement.
The leaked call appears to have directly influenced the development of Trump's controversial 28-point peace plan to end the nearly four-year conflict. The original proposal included provisions requiring Ukraine to surrender the entire Donbas region, reduce its military forces by one-third, and abandon its ambitions to join NATO.
Although a revised 19-point version later removed the most contentious demand regarding Donbas territory, reports indicate that Russia remains likely to reject even the modified ceasefire proposal, leaving the peace process in a state of uncertainty despite the extensive behind-the-scenes efforts revealed in the leaked conversation.
