'Peace for territory': the background to the Whitkoff-Ushakov phone call
Steve Whitkoff, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, had a conversation about a month ago with Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov, to whom he proposed to collaborate on drafting a peace plan for Ukraine
Key points
Steve Whitkoff, special envoy of US President Donald Trump, had a conversation about a month ago with Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov, to whom he proposed to collaborate on a peace plan for Ukraine, similar to the one formulated for Gaza.
The phone call of 14 October
The Guardian writes this, citing a transcript of the telephone conversation between the two and obtained by Bloomberg. During the five-minute phone call on 14 October, Witkoff suggested that, in order to achieve peace in Ukraine, it would be necessary for Russia to gain control of Donetsk and proceed to a possible separate territorial exchange.
"Now, I know what it will take to reach a peace agreement: Donetsk and perhaps an exchange of territories somewhere," Trump's envoy said, emphasising that he believed territorial concessions were necessary while giving 'tactical' hints as to how Putin should raise the subject with Trump, as well as suggesting a telephone conversation with the US president before Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the White House that would take place shortly thereafter, the same week.
"I say instead of talking like this, let's talk with more hope, because I think we will come to an agreement here," Whitkoff said again, mentioning the Gaza agreement: "We came up with a 20-point plan and I think that's what we need to do with you.
Trump defends Witkoff: 'He must sell the plan, that's how deals are made'
'He has to sell the pIan to Ukraine, he has to sell it to Russia. That's what a dealmaker does." Thus Donald Trump defends Steve Witkoff's art of doing business, and deals, dismissing as "standard negotiations" the revelations about the advice his friend and special envoy gave the Kremlin to woo the White House, and in particular the president.
