Steve Witkoff, peculiar Envoy of Donald Trump for mediate East Affairs, was on 14 October to talk by telephone to Yuri Uszakov, the closest advisor to the president of Russia. In an interview with Bloomberg, Trump's emissary suggests that Vladimir Putin call the president of the United States and congratulate him on bringing the Israeli-Hamas war to an end. According to Witkoff, this is the perfect time to start a conversation about the end of the war in Ukraine and "build a good impression".
“I would have called and just said that you congratulate the president on this achievement, that you supported them, that you respect that he is simply a man of peace, and you are truly glad that it happened”, instructs Steve Witkoff.
A peace plan like Gaza. "Doneck and Exchange of Territories"
During the discussion, there was besides a proposition to make a 20-point peace plan, akin to the 1 Trump was to propose in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Witkoff admitted explicitly that he knew what a compromise would look like – he mentioned Donetsk and possible replacement of territories as the terms of the agreement, although he added that it was better to think "more optimistic".
– I know what will be needed to conclude a peace agreement: Donetsk and possibly the exchange of another territories. But alternatively of talking about it, let's just talk, due to the fact that I think we will come to an agreement – says Witkoff to Uszak.
Phone call from Zelenski. The Kremlin and Trump are ahead of Ukraine?
The conversation with Witkoff-Uszakow took place just before Volodymyr Zelenski visited the White home on October 17. The Trump emissary argued that the Putin-Trump conversation should take place earlier to "build the ground" for the peace plan. As Bloomberg reveals, the Trump-Putin conversation actually took place – precisely the day before Zelenski met the American president.
Bloomberg's subsequent leaks cast additional light on the scenes themselves. On October 29, Kirył Dmitriev – head of the state's Russian investment fund and advisor to Putin – was to pass on the American side of the "informal version" of the Russian peace plan.
According to the report, Dmitriev had previously met with Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in Florida. Although the US did not officially accept the Russian version, it had a crucial impact on the first outline of the American plan – widely criticized for being overly submissive to Moscow.
The White home downplays the case
Donald Trump only answered the questions of journalists about the recording of the conversation laconically. He stated that he had not heard the recording, but in his opinion Witkoff's behaviour was a "standard practice of negotiators" and that he most likely spoke in a akin speech with Ukrainians.
The revealed conversation puts president Trump in an highly hard situation – both nationally and internationally. Although his administration officially runs a tough policy towards Moscow, private contacts with Vladimir Putin's surroundings cast a shadow on the declared independency of American abroad policy.
In the eyes of many observers, this is not just about diplomatic misconduct, but about the possible to undermine U.S. alliance commitments. Especially in NATO, there is increasing concern that specified contacts can be perceived as an effort to bring the Kremlin closer to the heads of partners.
