Witkoff will meet with Putin next week. What advice did the American emissary give to the Kremlin a month ago, so that the talk with Trump would go well for Russia
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is to meet with Vladimir Putin next week in Moscow to discuss a plan to end the war in Ukraine, Donald Trump said on Tuesday. According to Bloomberg, since October, Witkoff has been giving some advice to an adviser to the Russian president so that the negotiations with Trump would go well for the Kremlin.
Previous meeting between Vladimir Putin and Steve Witkoff in Moscow. PHOTO Profimedia
“Steve Witkoff is going, maybe with Jared (Kushner, Trump's financier). I'm not sure if Jared is going, but he's involved in the process, he's a smart guy, and I think they're going to meet with President Putin next week in Moscow.” he told the American leaders to the journalists on board his plane, according to Agerpres, which quotes AFP.
The special envoy of the US president offered advice to an adviser to Vladimir Putin on how to dialogue with the White House leader regarding the conflict in Ukraine, according to a telephone conversation disclosed by Bloomberg on Tuesday, cited by AFP.
The American press agency has published the transcript of an exchange of ideas on October 14 between the former businessman and Yuri Ushakov, the diplomatic adviser of the Russian president, in which they discuss a future plan to resolve the conflict, inspired by the one announced shortly before to end the war in Gaza, writes Agerpres, citing the mentioned sources.
Steve Witkoff suggests a phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, during which the latter would “congratulate the (American) president on this success”according to the document published by Bloomberg.
“I told the president that you, that the Russian Federation always wanted a peace agreement”
The American special envoy recommended, according to the same source, that this dialogue take place before the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House, scheduled for October 17.
“I told the president that I, that the Russian Federation has always wanted a peace agreement. That's what I believe,” Steve Witkoff also stated, according to this transcript, talking about “a 20-point peace plan, like the one we did for Gaza.”
“They will congratulate him, they will say that Trump is really a man of peace,” his Russian counterpart intervened, referring to Vladimir Putin.
The telephone conversation between Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart took place on October 16, 2025, the day before Volodymyr Zelensky's visit.
Trump stated that they were made “great progress” during this conversation. Shortly before, he had said that he was “very disappointed” with the Russian president.
On November 21, the United States proposed a peace plan for Ukraine, considered very favorable to Russia.
In the meantime, it has been modified, resulting in a new “significantly better” version for Kiev, which Steve Witkoff will discuss with Vladimir Putin in Moscow at Donald Trump's request.
