This could be 1 of the biggest diplomatic leaks of fresh years. Bloomberg's agency reached the records of talks and audio recordings that cast new, disturbing light on peace negotiations between Washington and Moscow. From the material emerges an image of a cynical game in which envoy Donald Trump tells advisors Vladimir Putin how to “play” the president of the United States, and the Kremlin calculates how to force the “maximum” territorial concessions.
Photo. thefad.pl / AI
Diplomacy seldom looks like in authoritative press releases. However, reports published by Bloomberg exposure mechanisms that usually stay profoundly hidden. At the center of the events were Steve Witkoff – a close associate and peculiar envoy of Donald Trump, and key Putin people: Yuri Uszakow and Kirił Dmitriev.
Trump Manual
The most sensational feature revealed by Bloomberg is the recording of the October 14 conversation between Steve Witkoff and Yuri Uszakow. It took place at a delicate minute – just before Volodymyr Zelenski visited the White home and in the atmosphere of Trump's public threats about sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
Records show that the American envoy de facto advised the Russian side how to neutralize Zelenski's influence. Witkoff suggested Putin call Trump before the Ukrainian president arrived in Washington. Moreover, he gave a ready-made conversation script based on Trump's intellectual profile.
The Council was simple: Putin was expected to congratulate Trump on his success (conclusion of peace in the Gaza Strip), call him "a man of peace" and propose that a akin model could be applied in Ukraine. – We put together Trump's 20-point peace plan [in Gaza] and I think possibly we'll do the same with you. – Witkoff said, adding with disarming sincerity: – Between you and me, I know what the peace agreement requires. Donetsk and possibly swapping territories somewhere. But alternatively of saying that, let's talk with more hope.
He plays 2 fronts.
The records uncover that Witkoff gave the Russians the impression that he had "a lot of space" from Trump to negotiate. He suggested that Putin mention informal arrangements by his advisors, creating an impression of openness to dialogue. This strategy worked – Trump's rhetoric softened, and the planned gathering in Budapest (although yet cancelled) was to be another step in this dance.
The U.S. President, erstwhile asked about these reports, downplays the case, calling it a "standard form of negotiation". – You gotta say, “Look, they want it, you gotta convince them” – explained Trump to journalists, suggesting that he was utilizing akin tactics towards Kiev. However, for geopolitics observers, instructing the opponent how to manipulate their own president goes far beyond diplomatic standards.
Kremlin demands “maximum”
The second act of this drama has already taken place inside the Russian power camp. Bloomberg reached the evidence of the conversation between Yuri Uszakov and Kirill Dmitriev (the head of the Russian investment fund), which took place after gathering the second with Witkoff in Miami. That's where the 28-point peace plan was supposedly created.
The Russian discussion, conducted in the native language, exposes the deficiency of illusions of Moscow. Uschakov, an experienced diplomat of Putin, pressed for a hard position. – We request a maximum, don't you think? What do you think? Otherwise, what's the point of transferring anything? – asked rhetorically.
However, the Kremlin’s concerns are evident in this discussion. Uszakov was worried that the Americans would “wrongly read” the proposals, remove the key points for Russia and then announce success, claiming there was an agreement. – They can spin it later. This hazard exists – he warned, suggesting that specified a turn of events could definitely break the negotiations.
Dmitriev, acting as an intermediary, proposed a "soft" solution: an informal transmission of the paper stating that it is simply a working version. In his opinion, even if the US does not accept the plan in its entirety, the final version will be "as close as possible" to Russian demands.
What does that mean for the world?
Bloomberg revealed materials as a cold shower for all believers in the transparency of global politics. They show that the destiny of Ukraine and the form of future governance in Europe are at stake, not during authoritative summits, but during informal discussions, where the "change of territories" is treated as an apparent and ego leaders are the key to political decisions.
If these reports are full true, they mean that the Washington administration is playing an highly risky game in which the boundary between diplomacy and manipulation has been almost completely erased.
Author: Thefad.pl / Source: Bloomberg, Axios
