President Donald 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.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald 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 peace plan aimed at bringing an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to a transcript of the call published by Bloomberg News on Tuesday.

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, according to a transcript of the Oct. 14 call published by the news service, advised Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov that Putin should call Trump to congratulate him for the Gaza peace deal, say Russia had supported it and that he respects the president as a man of peace.

  • protist@mander.xyzEnglish
    15·
    7 hours ago

    From Wikipedia:

    In 2018, Witkoff opposed sanctions against Russia for its occupation of Crimea.

    Witkoff has praised Russian president Putin and has appeared to support Russian government claims about its war against Ukraine. He said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was “not necessarily” started by Russia, that NATO had a significant role in provoking the conflict, and that most Eastern Ukrainians want to live under Russian rule.