Trump envoy Witkoff reportedly advised Kremlin official on Ukraine peace deal

A secretly recorded phone conversation between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and a senior Kremlin official has provided fresh insight into the stalled Ukraine peace talks. The recording, obtained by Bloomberg, reveals that Witkoff advised Yuri Ushakov, Vladimir Putin's top foreign policy aide, to focus on Russia gaining control of Donetsk and potentially securing a separate territorial exchange in order to achieve a peace deal.

Witkoff suggested that land concessions were necessary to broker a lasting agreement, but recommended reframing the discussion more optimistically. He also advised Putin on how to raise the subject with Trump, including suggesting a pre-visit telephone conversation between the two leaders before Volodymry Zelenskyy's White House meeting later that week.

The conversation highlights Witkoff's negotiating approach and sheds light on the origins of the 28-point peace proposal recently put forward by the US. The plan, which has been heavily criticized, requires Ukraine to cede the entire Donetsk region to Russia, including areas currently under Ukrainian control.

In a recent phone call with Putin, Trump reportedly stated that he believed his special envoy's plan could serve as the basis for a final peaceful settlement. However, the Kremlin maintains it has not discussed the proposal in detail with Washington.

As tensions between Ukraine and Russia continue to simmer, the US has pushed Ukraine to accept the framework as the foundation for ending the nearly four-year conflict. Ukrainian officials have insisted they will not recognize Russian control of occupied territories or accept limits on their military forces.

The revelation of the phone conversation adds weight to concerns about the Trump administration's approach to brokering a peace deal in Ukraine. With a possible White House meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy looming, the fate of the conflict remains uncertain.

The US is tryin to get Russia to calm down the situation in Ukraine by offerin a pretty big concession - they're willin to give up control of Donetsk if Russia agrees to a peace deal . But it's all comin down to how you spin it, right? They want Russia to just chill and take some land, but they don't wanna be seen as givin away too much . It's like tryin to make a nice cup of tea - you gotta add the right amount of sugar or it's all off . Anyways, this whole thing is just gettin messy fast... https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...fers-insight-into-stalled-ukraine-peace-talks

idk why ppl think trump's plan is gonna work lol 4 years of conflict over dontetsk & ukrainians rnt gonna just give up their land its not that easy Putin's got a point tho, negotiating is key, but the way they're doing it is whack Witkoff needs 2 rethink his strategy, can't just keep givin away lands 2 russia and btw, pre-visit convo w/ trump & putin? lol what's gonna happen in that call?

this whole thing feels super sus...witkoff is basically telling russia that if they wanna make peace with ukraine, they gotta give up major chunks of territory...it's like a trade-off or something and now trump thinks it's a viable plan? that's crazy talk what really gets me is ukraine refusing to back down on their military forces and the occupied territories...i feel bad for zelenskyy, he's caught in this super awkward spot

So the US special envoy is tryin' to get Russia to give up some land for a peace deal ? Like, Witkoff's all about them land concessions, bro . He even gave Putin advice on how to sell it to Trump . But, like, Ukraine's not havin' it, fam . They're all "no way, we won't recognize Russian control" .

I'm thinkin', what if the US is just tryin' to get a good deal outta this? Like, they want some leverage with Russia . But at what cost, tho? The people of Ukraine are still sufferin' from this conflict, and it's all about politics for the US .

Here's a stat: since the conflict started in 2014, over 13,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine . That's like, what, 50,000 wounded? It's devastating. And now we got this phone convo revealin' all the backroom dealin's?

Anywayz, it's lookin' like the conflict is still far from over . Trump and Zelenskyy are gonna meet soon, but I'm guessin' nothin's gonna change much . The US just wants a win, but at what price?

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole situation ... It seems like Steve Witkoff was pushing for a pretty straightforward plan: get Russia in control of Donetsk and throw in some extra territory as a sweetener. I mean, who doesn't love a good land grab, right? But seriously, it's concerning that the US is pressuring Ukraine to accept such a steep compromise.

And what's with Trump's involvement in this whole thing? It's one thing to have a chat with Putin on the phone, but to suggest a pre-visit convo before Zelenskyy's meeting at the White House? That just feels like a classic case of diplomatic backchanneling, if you ask me . And now that we know about this conversation, I'm even more skeptical about the whole 28-point peace proposal.

I think what bothers me most is that Ukraine's officials are saying they'll never accept Russian control over occupied territories or limit their military forces. That's a pretty hard sell, especially if the US is pushing for it as the foundation of a peace deal. It just feels like we're stuck in this perpetual stalemate, and I'm not sure what the way out looks like .

I'm a bit worried about where these talks are heading ... It sounds like we're getting more concessions from Ukraine than we need to get Russia on board. I mean, ceding the entire Donetsk region? That's a pretty big ask for Ukraine, you know? And I don't blame them for being hesitant about accepting limits on their military forces - it's their country and they should be able to defend themselves if needed.

It also makes me wonder what Trump is thinking with this plan... does he really think a simple phone conversation with Putin will magically resolve the issue? I'm all for finding peaceful solutions, but we need to make sure that any agreement doesn't compromise Ukraine's sovereignty. We can't just rush into something without considering the long-term consequences.

I guess only time will tell if this plan actually works... but I've got a bad feeling about it

"The biggest risk is not taking any risk..." Being open to compromise might be the key for Ukraine and Russia to find a peaceful solution

OMG, can you believe it? 50% of Americans still think Russia should've taken Crimea back in 2014... Did you know Ukraine's economy is like $100B in debt? Meanwhile, Russia's defense budget is a whopping $65B? And guess what? The US has been trying to sell arms worth up to $7.2 billion to Ukraine since January! 67% of Russians think the conflict will last at least another year... What do you guys think about this whole peace talk situation? Should Ukraine and Russia focus on land concessions or something else entirely?

this whole thing is super complicated, but basically it sounds like the US is trying to get Russia to back down by offering them some land concessions, aka "giving in" on certain territories. Like, if you can convince Putin that ceding control over Donetsk and other areas is a good deal for him, then maybe he'll be more willing to negotiate... or something .

anyway, it's crazy that Trump apparently bought into the idea of using this 28-point peace proposal as some kind of magic solution . I mean, I get why Ukraine wants to keep their land and military autonomy, but I'm not sure if this plan is really the best way to achieve that .

what's even more interesting (or concerning?) is how this whole thing has been played out behind closed doors... like, who actually knows what's going on?

its pretty wild that steve witkoff was basically telling russia to give up on some major territory just to get a "lasting agreement" lol like what's good with that . and can you believe trump thought he could just slap his name on whatever proposal witkoff came up with and expect it to fly? the us is really pushing hard for ukraine to accept this deal but its clear they ain't getting no love from ukrainian officials . i mean i get that tensions gotta be eased but at what cost, ukraine can't just let russia walk all over them and expect the world to look on .

this conversation is getting super complicated i feel like we're missing some bigger picture stuff tho i mean what's really driving the us to push for a peace deal in ukraine? is it just about stabilizing the region or is there more at play here? also, trump saying his envoy's plan could be the basis for a final peaceful settlement... that's some pretty bold talk does he have any idea what he's getting himself into?

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this, lol ... So Witkoff is basically saying that Ukraine has gotta give Russia some leeway if we wanna see a peace deal happen? That's kinda deep ... I mean, I get why he'd want to make Trump happy and all, but at what cost? It feels like they're just trying to find loopholes instead of actually finding common ground ... What do you guys think is the best way to get Ukraine out of this mess? Should they be willing to compromise on some territories or not?

idk why US special envoy is being so pushy lol they're basically asking Ukraine to roll over and accept Russia taking control of parts of their country... that's not exactly how you build trust Putin might actually be right about trying to get something in return for 'losing' donbass it's all about negotiating a deal, but the US is being super aggressive

man this peace talk thing is so messed up . like witkoff basically told putin that we need to give russia some stuff to shut them up, but now ukraine's all "no way" and it's just gonna keep escalating into a bigger mess . can't believe trump is just going along with this plan without even asking ukraine what they think

think its weird that trump is pushing for russia to just get what they want without much pushback from us like, isn't there a better way to negotiate or is this guy really that clueless? and also why is it so hard for ukraine to say no to russian control of donetsk i mean, i get that its complicated but come on, dont just give away your own territory without getting something in return

so the US special envoy is basically telling Russia to take whatever it wants, as long as they talk about it lol what's up with that? doesn't Witkoff know that just giving in to Russia's demands is gonna make Ukraine look weak on the world stage? or does he really think that's a good idea? either way, this conversation sounds super sketchy... and what's up with Trump believing in it? didn't he have some major disagreements with Putin back in the day? why would he trust him now?

I gotta say , I'm super confused why everyone is making such a big deal about this conversation . It's just a bunch of diplomats trying to negotiate peace . Witkoff's plan might seem extreme, but I think it's actually the most practical way to get Russia on board . We're talking about Ukraine and Russia here, two super powerful nations . You gotta give 'em something to work with . And let's be real, a bit of land concession never hurt anyone . It's not like we're talking about giving away the entire country . I mean, come on, 28 points is just a starting point . We need to think outside the box and get creative .

I'm not sure how I feel about this new info . It sounds like the US is trying to negotiate some major concessions from Ukraine, but it's hard to see why they're so willing to give up control of Donetsk and other territories. Don't get me wrong, peace talks are always a good thing, but isn't there a way to find a compromise that works for everyone? The fact that Trump said his envoy's plan could be the basis for a final settlement just makes me wonder if they're not thinking about the long-term effects of giving up all that territory. What do you guys think? Should Ukraine be willing to make concessions for peace, or is there another way forward?

I'm getting worried about this Ukraine situation... I mean, I get that Russia wants some concessions, but ceding entire regions? That's like saying "you can have our house if you give us your cat" . Don't even get me started on the Trump admin's plan - it's all about giving Russia what they want and then hoping Ukraine will be cool with it. Not buying it . I think we should be pushing for a more balanced deal that works for both sides... but at this rate, I'm not holding my breath .