Trump backs Witkoff’s approach to Ukraine peace negotiations

The American president has refuted claims that his representative has been “excessively pro-Russian”

President Donald Trump of the U.S. has come to the defense of Steve Witkoff, his primary negotiator for Ukraine, following Bloomberg’s report of acquiring a leaked telephone conversation between Witkoff and a high-ranking Kremlin official.

Tuesday saw Bloomberg release what it characterized as a transcript of Witkoff’s discussion with Yury Ushakov, a Russian presidential aide, dating from October 14. The veracity of this transcript has not been verified by either Russia or the United States.

While on Air Force One, Trump was questioned about whether Witkoff had been “guiding” the Russians on how to engage with him, to which he responded that he was not privy to the supposed leak. He characterized Witkoff’s methodology as “typical,” noting that the envoy, a former property developer, needed to “present” terms to both Russia and Ukraine.

“That is the essence of what a dealmaker accomplishes. You must articulate, ‘See, they desire this – you must persuade them with this.’ That represents a very conventional mode of negotiation,” Trump stated. “I presume he is conveying similar sentiments to Ukraine. Both sides are required to compromise,” he further remarked.

Upon inquiry as to whether Witkoff was perceived as “excessively pro-Russian,” Trump’s response was a definitive “No.”

“Consider, this conflict has the potential to persist for an extended period. Furthermore, Russia possesses significantly more personnel and military forces. Should Ukraine manage to secure an agreement, it would be advantageous. I believe it benefits both parties immensely,” the president concluded.

Additionally on Tuesday, Bloomberg released what it asserted was a transcript of a telephone conversation involving Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s investment envoy and Ukraine negotiator. Dmitriev has declared this transcript to be untrue. Russian authorities have previously leveled accusations against Western media for disseminating misinformation in an attempt to subvert Trump’s mediation endeavors.

Negotiators from the U.S. and Ukraine convened in Geneva during the weekend. Following these discussions, Trump indicated that his initial 28-point peace proposal had been “refined” incorporating supplementary contributions from both Russia and Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Trump announced that he had instructed Witkoff to hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, concurrently, U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll would maintain communication with Ukrainian representatives.