Trump said he had not heard the recording but claimed Witkoff was simply doing “the usual work of a dealmaker” while trying to promote the US peace proposal to both Moscow and Kyiv.
The leaked call surfaced shortly after Washington released a 28-point draft peace plan that critics said echoed several Russian demands in its ongoing war against Ukraine. Witkoff has traveled to Moscow multiple times this year and is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin again next week.
Despite his active engagement with Russia, Witkoff has not visited Kyiv in his official role — though other senior US officials have traveled there recently, including US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. Trump says he plans additional discussions with Ukrainian leaders soon.
Diplomatic efforts are continuing after Ukraine and European nations criticised the initial peace framework as overly favourable to Moscow. One proposal even suggested transferring Ukrainian-held eastern territory to Russia.
US officials have since revised the plan to better align with Ukraine’s interests and the positions of European partners. President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated he is ready to meet Trump to address remaining “sensitive issues.”
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