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During a recent flight aboard Air Force One, President Donald Trump engaged with reporters, shedding light on a significant diplomatic exchange involving his administration and the Russian government. The conversation, taking place on November 25, 2025, occurred as the president journeyed from Joint Base Andrews to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
Central to this unfolding narrative is a call involving Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, who reportedly provided strategic advice to a senior aide of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The aim was to guide Putin’s approach in presenting a peace initiative intended to resolve the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This revelation comes from a transcript of the October 14 conversation, made public by Bloomberg News.
According to the transcript, Witkoff counseled Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, on how the Russian leader might best appeal to President Trump. The strategy suggested was for Putin to extend congratulations to Trump for the recent Gaza peace accord, express Russia’s support for the deal, and acknowledge Trump as a peacemaker.
“From that, it’s going to be a really good call,” Witkoff is quoted as saying, illustrating the anticipated positive outcome of such an approach.
In response to inquiries from Russian state media, Ushakov did not refute the authenticity of the call recordings, although he clarified that the Russian government was not responsible for any leaks. Meanwhile, the White House did not challenge the accuracy of the transcript. President Trump, for his part, characterized Witkoff’s diplomatic maneuvering as a typical aspect of negotiation tactics.
When asked by Russian state media to comment on the report, Ushakov did not question the recordings’ authenticity but said that they had not been leaked by Moscow. The White House did not dispute the veracity of the transcript, and Trump described Witkoff’s reported approach to the Russians in the call as “standard” negotiating procedure.
Here’s the latest:
Report: Witkoff coached Putin’s aide on pitching Trump
Trump’s chief interlocutor with the Russian government last month advised a senior aide to Vladimir Putin on how the Russian leader should go about pitching the U.S. president on a Ukraine peace plan.
That’s according to a transcript of the Oct. 14 call published Tuesday by Bloomberg News. The news agency said it reviewed a recording of the call.
It said Trump envoy Steve Witkoff advised Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov that Putin should call the U.S. leader to congratulate him and praise Trump for the Gaza peace deal. Trump described Witkoff’s approach as “standard” in negotiations.
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