Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff told a senior Kremlin official last month that achieving peace in Ukraine would require Russia gaining control of Donetsk and potentially a separate territorial exchange, according to a recording of their conversation obtained by Bloomberg.
In the 14 October phone call with Yuri Ushakov, Vladimir Putin's top foreign policy aide, Witkoff said: "Now, me to you, I know what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere." He also advised Ushakov to congratulate Trump and frame discussions more optimistically, suggesting a Trump-Putin phone call before Volodymyr Zelenskyy's White House visit.
Ushakov appeared to confirm the authenticity of the conversation, telling Russian state TV the leak was likely an attempt to "hinder" talks. He added that a preliminary agreement had been reached for Witkoff to visit Moscow. The White House did not dispute the transcript, and Trump described Witkoff's approach as "standard" negotiating procedure.
The recording offers insight into the origins of a controversial 28-point peace proposal that emerged in November. The plan would require Ukraine to cede the entire Donetsk region to Russia, including areas under Ukrainian control, and grant Russia control of Luhansk and Crimea while freezing battle lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Putin has said the US plan could serve as a "basis for a final peaceful settlement", though the Kremlin maintains it has not discussed the proposal in detail. Ukraine has insisted it will not recognise Russian control of occupied territories or accept limits on its military forces.
Trump announced he is sending Witkoff to meet Putin in Moscow and the US army secretary to meet Ukrainians, ahead of a possible White House meeting with Zelenskyy. The call took place as Trump voiced frustration with Putin's unwillingness to end the war, saying: "I don’t know why he continues with this war."
