US lawmakers erupt after leaked call shows Trump envoy advising Russians on peace plan
Photo: US President’s special representative Steve Witkoff (Getty Images)
Members of Congress and politicians are outraged by the leak of a conversation between US special representative Steve Witkoff and Russians, during which he advised them on how to promote a peace plan to US President Donald Trump, citing members of the US Congress and politicians on the social network X.
US Representative Ted Lieu called Witkoff a "traitor."
"Actual traitor. Steve Witkoff is supposed to work for the United States, not Russia," he commented.
Congressman Don Bacon called for Witkoff to be dismissed and called him a Russian agent.
"For those who oppose the Russian invasion and want to see Ukraine prevail as a sovereign & democratic country, it is clear that Witkoff fully favors the Russians. He cannot be trusted to lead these negotiations. Would a Russian paid agent do less than he? He should be fired," he wrote.
US Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican, called the call "a problem."
"This is a major problem. And one of the many reasons why these ridiculous side shows and secret meetings need to stop. Allow Secretary of State Marco Rubio to do his job in a fair and objective manner," the congressman commented.
Former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul called Witkoff’s conversation with the Russians "shocking" and noted that representatives of the US government must promote America’s interests.
"The job of all serving in national security jobs in the USG is to advance AMERICAN national interests, not the interests of other countries and especially not barbaric imperial warmongers like Putin," he emphasized.
Leak of Witkoff’s conversation with Russians
Earlier, Bloomberg published transcripts of two phone conversations.
The first conversation was allegedly between US special representative Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov on October 14.
During the call, Witkoff advised the Russians on how best to present the Russian proposals for peace to Trump, insisting that the call take place before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives at the White House.
Witkoff recommended that Putin congratulate Trump on the Gaza peace deal, say that he is a man who fights for peace, and add that Witkoff and Ushakov had discussed developing a similar peace plan on the Ukraine issue.
The second conversation was between Ushakov and Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev. They discussed that the latter would pass along a developed peace plan to Witkoff, but Ushakov worried that the US might change it in a way unfavorable to Russia.
At the same time, Bloomberg noted that it cannot precisely confirm which proposals Moscow passed to Washington and to what extent they influenced the 28-point plan. This refers to the original document that was revised in Geneva on Sunday, November 23.
Dmitriev himself stated that Bloomberg’s material was supposedly fake.
US President Donald Trump has already responded to Bloomberg’s transcript. He noted that it is a “standard form of negotiations.”
