US President Donald Trump said that Washington's special envoy Steve Witkoff used standard negotiation techniques after it became clear that he had given instructions to a Russian official in a phone call that was wiretapped. This was reported by the “New York Times“, BTA reports.
Trump defended Witkoff for the way he is leading negotiations within the framework of the latest American initiative to end the war in Ukraine, and announced that he will send him to Russia again to meet with President Vladimir Putin, the publication notes.
The US president's comment came after a publication by “Bloomberg“, which distributed, according to its claims, a transcript of a telephone conversation from October 14 between Witkoff and Yuri Ushakov - a senior foreign policy adviser to the Russian head of state. In the conversation, Witkoff appears to give advice on how the Kremlin could win Trump's support for the terms preferred by Moscow to end the conflict.
In front of journalists on board “Air Force One“ Trump explained that Witkoff had held talks with both Russian and Ukrainian representatives, and described the dialogue in question as part of the normal negotiation process.
“I haven't heard of it, but it's a perfectly normal thing. That's the job of a negotiator,“ he said.
The president added that US diplomatic efforts were making “good progress” but admitted that reaching an agreement was more difficult than expected. According to him, his personal relationship with Putin could facilitate the path to peace, although the process between Russia and Ukraine remains “extremely complex“.
The White House specified that the peace plan was prepared by Jared Kushner – Trump's son-in-law, and by Witkoff himself, who held several meetings with Russian officials before the details became public.
Although the Republican Party continues to overwhelmingly support Trump, internal party criticism has intensified amid his recent political setbacks, including this month's election results and Congress's decision to support the release of the Justice Department's files on Jeffrey Epstein, Reuters notes.
The agency also cited the sharp position of Republican Congressman Don Bacon, who wrote in “Ex“: “To all who oppose the Russian invasion and want Ukraine to prevail as a sovereign and democratic country, it is obvious that Witkoff is completely on the side of the Russians. He cannot be trusted to lead these negotiations. Could a paid Russian agent act worse? He should be fired.“