U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff gave a senior Kremlin official tips on how to sell a Ukraine peace deal to President Donald Trump, a report said.
Witkoff spoke by phone to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov on Oct. 14, advising him on how Putin should bring up the topic with the U.S. president, according to Bloomberg.
‘We put a 20-point Trump plan together that was 20 points for peace, and I’m thinking maybe we do the same thing with you,’ Witkoff was quoted by Bloomberg as saying, in reference to the Trump administration’s Gaza peace deal.
During the phone call, which lasted about five minutes, Witkoff said he had a deep respect for Putin and that he had informed Trump that he believed Russia has always wanted a peace deal for Ukraine, Bloomberg reported.
Witkoff mentioned that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was visiting the White House in mid-October and that Putin could speak to Trump ahead of that meeting, the report added.
‘Zelenskyy is coming to the White House on Friday,’ Witkoff said, according to a recording of the phone call obtained by Bloomberg. ‘I will go to that because they want me there, but I think, if possible, we have the call with your boss before that Friday meeting.’
Witkoff suggested that Putin congratulate Trump on the Gaza peace deal and say that Russia backed it and that he respects Trump as a man of peace, Bloomberg reported.
‘Here’s what I think would be amazing,’ Witkoff reportedly added. ‘Maybe he says to President Trump: you know, Steve and Yuri discussed a very similar 20-point plan to peace and that could be something that we think might move the needle a little bit. We’re open to those sorts of things.’
Bloomberg also reported that Ushakov said Putin ‘will congratulate’ Trump and say ‘Mr. Trump is a real peace man.’
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
‘This story proves one thing: Special Envoy Witkoff talks to officials in both Russia and Ukraine nearly every day to achieve peace, which is exactly what President Trump appointed him to do,’ White House communications director Steven Cheung told Bloomberg.
Ushakov told Russian media on Wednesday that details about his conversation with Witkoff should not have been leaked, describing the situation as ‘unacceptable,’ according to Reuters.
It added that Ushakov said the leak was aimed at hindering discussions between the U.S. and Russia and that he would be raising the matter with Witkoff.
On Tuesday, Ukraine agreed to the peace deal that would see an end to the war with Russia, a U.S. official told Fox News.
Some minor details of the agreement are still to be sorted out, the official said.
Lt. Col. Jeff Tolbert, a spokesman for U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, had told Fox News that Driscoll and his team met with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi on Monday and Tuesday to discuss the framework for a Ukraine peace deal.
A U.S. official told Fox News that the Ukrainian delegation was also in Abu Dhabi and was in contact with Driscoll and his team.
Fox News’ Ashley Carnahan and Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.