Witkoff Bows to the Kremlin: “I Have Deep Respect for President Putin”
- Olga Nesterova
- 7 minutes ago
- 4 min read
A leaked transcript exposes the White House’s pro-Russia lobby and throws U.S. Ukraine policy into chaos.
A sensational leak published by Bloomberg has revealed private conversations between U.S. real-estate mogul and Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff and Yuri Ushakov, Vladimir Putin’s longtime foreign policy adviser.
The transcripts paint a disturbing picture: a U.S. negotiator flattering, advising, and effectively carrying water for the Kremlin — while shaping Trump’s view of Putin, Ukraine, and the broader negotiation process.
According to the leak, Witkoff is the chief lobbyist of a Kremlin-aligned narrative inside the White House, feeding Trump stories about Putin being “negotiable” and Russia supposedly wanting peace.
Witkoff even admitted during the conversation:
“I have deep respect for President Putin.”
The fallout in Washington has been immediate and severe.
What the Leaked Conversations Reveal
1. Witkoff coached Ushakov on how Putin should flatter Trump
In the first call, Witkoff tells Ushakov exactly how Putin should speak to Trump — urging the Kremlin to appeal directly to Trump’s vanity and ego:
“I would… simply repeat that you congratulate the president on this achievement, that you supported him, that you respect him as a man of peace… I think it would be a really good move.”
He adds that he has already positioned Russia in Trump’s mind as a peace-seeking actor:
“I told the president that the Russian Federation has always wanted a peaceful agreement. I believe that.”
2. He pushed Moscow to adopt a PR-friendly ’20-point peace plan’
Witkoff suggested replicating Trump’s Gaza process:
“Maybe we should develop a 20-point peace proposal… maybe we should do the same with you.”
He even encouraged Ushakov to have Putin tell Trump that the Russians and Witkoff had discussed such a plan together — positioning himself as a bridge between Trump and Moscow.
3. Witkoff floated territorial concessions for Ukraine
He outlined what he believes a peace deal would require:
“I know what it would take… Donetsk and maybe some kind of territorial swap.”
Even while advising that it should be framed “optimistically,” the implication is unmistakable: an American representative proposing rewards for Russian aggression.
4. He advised Putin to call Trump before Zelenskyy’s visit
Witkoff told Ushakov to contact Trump the day before Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House.
Putin did exactly that.
When asked, Trump said he hadn't heard the tape but dismissed the guidance as “standard”:
“He has to convince Ukraine, he has to convince Russia. That’s what a negotiator does.”
Moscow Responds With Denials — and an Embarrassing Admission
Kremlin wealth fund head Kirill Dmitriev called the transcripts “fake.” But Ushakov himself offered something more revealing: an excuse.
He claimed the leak may have occurred because he sometimes conducts work calls over WhatsApp — an app banned in Russia.
He said encrypted government lines “almost never leak,” but WhatsApp is different.
If the call really took place on WhatsApp and could be intercepted, there are only four possibilities:
WhatsApp has a secret backdoor (which Meta denies).
Ushakov’s device is infected with spyware and the call was captured that way.
He used an unsecured connection and is now blaming the app to cover his own operational failure.
The Kremlin recorded and leaked the call themselves — either as an internal power play or to manipulate the political narrative in Washington.
U.S. Lawmakers Demand Witkoff’s Removal
After Bloomberg published the transcript, outrage erupted across Capitol Hill.
Republican Congressman Don Bacon called Witkoff “completely on Russia’s side”:
“Could a paid Russian agent do any worse? He should be fired.”
Republican Brian Fitzpatrick and Democrat Ted Lieu also condemned Witkoff, accusing him of betraying U.S. national interests and undermining Ukraine’s security.
The Telegraph observed that Witkoff advised Russia to “shower Trump with praise,” raising questions about the entire negotiation process. Sky News went further, calling him a “useful idiot” who has increased risks for Ukraine and Europe:
Under normal circumstances, such an official would be fired as “hopelessly compromised.” But under Trump, scandals “have stopped meaning anything.”
Meanwhile, Russia Says It Won’t Make Concessions — at All
As this scandal unfolds, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated that Moscow will not make new concessions in any peace deal.
He claimed that Putin had already made all possible concessions “in Anchorage, Alaska” — a claim not supported by any official documents — and that everything else is “off the table.”
"Russia will continue pursuing its declared war aims."
The Bigger Picture: A Manipulated Process
The deeper irony — and danger — is stark:
Russia (the aggressor) drafted a maximalist, illegal wishlist
Then fed it to Steve Witkoff
Who presented it to Trump as a viable U.S. proposal
Trump endorsed it without reading it
And pressured Ukraine (the victim) to accept it
While Russia leaked the whole manipulation
Only to announce that they won’t consider any peace plan anyway
“Witkoff-gate” is not just a leak. It is a blueprint for how Russia has bypassed institutions, compromised U.S. diplomacy, and exploited Trump’s inner circle — all while refusing to negotiate in good faith.
And now, the world gets to read the playbook.
Read the leaked exchange here:
