US President Donald Trump has defended Steve Witkoff, the special envoy, as doing the “standard thing” in response to a leaked video that seemed to show him advising a Russian official on how to make a plea to the president.
On Wednesday, Trump told reporters that although he had not heard the audio, Witkoff was “selling” the peace plan to both Russia and Ukraine by doing “what a dealmaker does.
Days after the US published a 28-point draft peace proposal that essentially mirrored Russian stances on its full-scale war in Ukraine, the leaked call from last month surfaced. Witkoff has visited Moscow numerous times this year and will see Russian President Vladimir Putin again next week.
Although other US officials have visited including US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll visited Kyiv last week, he has never traveled there in his capacity as special envoy. Trump has stated that he will have more discussions with the Ukrainians.
Following criticism from Ukrainian and European officials that the original draft plan was too favorable to Russia, diplomatic negotiations have proceeded. A transfer of Ukrainian-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine to Russia was one of the recommendations.
Since then, the plan has been updated to represent better Ukraine’s interests and those of its European partners. Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has said he is prepared to meet with Trump to discuss unresolved “sensitive points.
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