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.
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... 
4 years of conflict over dontetsk & ukrainians rnt gonna just give up their land its not that easy 
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? 
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 
? 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" 
.
. But at what cost, tho? 
.
. That's like, what, 50,000 wounded? 
. Trump and Zelenskyy are gonna meet soon, but I'm guessin' nothin's gonna change much 
... 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? 
. And now that we know about this conversation, I'm even more skeptical about the whole 28-point peace proposal.
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.
Did you know Ukraine's economy is like $100B in debt? 
67% of Russians think the conflict will last at least another year... 
. 
. 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 
. 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 
.
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? 
... 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 
. can't believe trump is just going along with this plan without even asking ukraine what they think 
. 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 
. We need to think outside the box and get creative 
.
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? 
. 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