Leaked transcripts from White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s call with a top aide to the Russian President Vladimir Putin, published Tuesday by Bloomberg, touched off a massive controversy in Washington this week. The transcripts appear to show Witkoff coaching Yuri Ushakov, a senior Russian diplomat, on how to negotiate with President Donald Trump during upcoming talks about a peace settlement in Ukraine.

According to the transcript, Witkoff told Ushakov to arrange a phone call between Trump and Putin before the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s planned visit to the White House. Witkoff also gave Ushakov some instructions for how Putin should flatter Trump during the call to most effectively preface negotiations. “Just reiterate that you congratulate the president on this achievement,” Witkoff told him. “[Say] that you supported it, you supported it, that you respect that he is a man of peace and you’re just, you’re really glad to have seen it happen.”

The revelation provoked an angry response from Ukraine hawks in Washington on both sides of the aisle, who argue that the transcripts are proof that Witkoff is assisting Russia obtain a more favorable settlement to the war. Rep. Bryan Kilmeade (R-PA) said that the leaks are “a major problem” and added that “these ridiculous side shows and secret meetings need to stop.” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) went further, calling the special envoy “an actual traitor,” and saying that “Steve Witkoff is supposed to work for the United States, not Russia.”

Trump defended Witkoff’s actions as “a very standard form of negotiation.” 

“That’s what a dealmaker does,” the president said. “You’ve got to say look, they want this, you’ve got to convince them of this.”

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