President Donald Trump has defended his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, after a leaked recording appeared to capture Witkoff advising a Russian official on how to frame proposals to appeal to the U.S. president. Trump, who stated he had not heard the audio himself, characterized Witkoff’s actions as the “standard thing” for a dealmaker trying to “sell” a peace plan.
The leak comes amid heightened scrutiny of the U.S.-brokered peace process. Just days earlier, a 28-point draft plan—criticized by Ukraine and European allies for being overly favorable to Moscow—was made public. The initial proposal included contentious points such as the cession of Ukrainian-controlled territory to Russia.
Witkoff, who has visited Moscow multiple times this year and is scheduled to meet with President Vladimir Putin again next week, has never traveled to Kyiv in his official capacity. This stands in contrast to other U.S. officials, including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who visited the Ukrainian capital this week.
In response to the backlash, the draft plan has since been revised to better incorporate Ukraine’s interests and European perspectives. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his readiness to meet with Trump to resolve remaining “sensitive points.”
