Published is a shocking recording of conversations between Putin's aides and Trump's special envoy. What's in it?
The scandal lies in the very fact that officials of such rank were being wiretapped, and even more so in the disclosure of this fact. Who is behind this is unknown. The publication of the wiretaps has already been dubbed the «Whitcoff tapes» by the media.
Peace talks between the US and Russia to end the war in Ukraine have become the center of a political scandal after Bloomberg published transcripts of telephone conversations that allegedly took place in October 2025 between US Special Representative Steve Witkoff and high-ranking Russian officials.
The transcripts, the authenticity of which has not yet been confirmed, but is hardly in doubt, indicate that the initial version of the «Trump plan» was developed in the Kremlin.
Bloomberg published details of two conversations involving Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov: one with Trump's special representative Steve Witkoff, the other with Putin's special representative Kirill Dmitriev.
The fact that Ushakov appears in both conversations suggests that it was his phone that was tapped.
Witkoff as a Kremlin consultant
The conversation that allegedly took place on October 14 between Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov attracted particular attention. In it, Witkoff actively advised the Russian side on how best to present the peace agreement to Trump.
The American mediator advised Putin to call Trump before the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and use the «right tone»:
«I would call just to remind you that you congratulate the president on this achievement [on Gaza], that you supported him, that you respect him as a man of peace and that you are pleased with the results of his work. That's how I would approach it,» Witkoff allegedly said.
In addition, Witkoff assured Ushakov of his personal respect for the Russian leader: «I just want you to say — maybe you should say this to President Putin, because you know, I deeply respect President Putin.»
The second transcript — a conversation between Ushakov and Putin's special representative Kirill Dmitriev on October 29, confirms concerns about the origin of the plan.
Dmitriev suggested unofficially handing over the Russian draft peace agreement so that Witkoff could pass it off as his own.
At the same time, Ushakov expressed concern that Washington could take advantage of the situation, «change» the Russian plan and declare it согласованным with Moscow.
Dmitriev, in turn, assured that he would ask Witkoff to keep everything «word for word» and that everything would be «done neatly.»
Reaction and consequences
The publication, which Dmitriev has already called a «fake,» deepens distrust between Moscow and Washington.
President Trump, however, defended Witkoff, calling his actions «standard form of negotiation»:
«He has to sell [ideas] of Ukraine to Russia. That's what a negotiator does. He has to say: look, they want this, and you have to convince them of that — it's a completely standard form of negotiation,» Trump explained.
Yuri Ushakov did not deny the authenticity of the published conversations: «I talk to Witkoff quite often, but the essence of the conversations — they are of a closed nature — I do not comment. Yes, no one should comment Someone leaks, someone eavesdrops. But not us.»
Analysts believe that the publication significantly complicates Witkoff's mission to Moscow, scheduled for next week.
The publication did not specify where it obtained the recordings of the conversations.
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