Who leaked US envoy Steve Witkoff's phone call with Russia
What's the story
A leaked phone call between the White House and the Kremlin has raised serious concerns over the ongoing peace negotiations for Ukraine. The conversation was between President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior Kremlin official Yuri Ushakov. The leaked conversation, first published by Bloomberg, included Witkoff advising Ushakov on how to win over the US leader by congratulating him about the Gaza peace deal.
Leak details
Leak's content and potential suspects
During the call, Witkoff also suggested setting up a meeting between Trump and Vladimir Putin before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to the White House. Trump and Putin ended up speaking to each other a day before the US president met with Zelenskyy at the White House. Shortly after meeting with Zelenskyy on October 17, Trump stated that Ukraine and Russia should "stop where they are" on the battlefield, implying that Ukraine should give up territory that Russia had seized.
Suspected parties
US intelligence operatives and NATO nations as suspects
The leak has left many questions unanswered, including who could be behind it. According to Newsweek, possible suspects include US intelligence operatives, the Russian government or associated actors, or a NATO nation trying to disrupt talks not seen as beneficial for European security interests. Former acting US Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell and journalist Glenn Greenwald have publicly suggested the involvement of US intelligence operatives, though no direct evidence has emerged.
Others
Greenwald compared this incident to past NSA leaks
Grenell called for immediate action against the leaker, calling them a national security risk. "Find the leaker and fire them immediately. No excuses. The anonymous leaker is a national security risk," he said. Greenwald compared this incident to past NSA leaks involving Michael Flynn. "It's the most serious leaking crime in the US Code," Greenwald posted on X. The second possible suspect is a NATO nation trying to shape or derail peace negotiations by leaking sensitive information.
Leak controversy
Russia's condemnation and speculation of involvement
The third suspect, according to Newsweek, is the Kremlin, which has condemned the leak and denied any involvement in its dissemination. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov accused European media of acting as agents of "hybrid war" against Moscow. However, the interception of another call between Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev raises suspicions of Russian involvement, possibly through a European intelligence agency proxy, a former Bellingcat journalist who exposed the Skripal poisonings on UK soil said.
Ongoing discussions
Diplomatic responses and future negotiations
In response to the leak, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said Witkoff's role is to communicate with both Russia and Ukraine daily in pursuit of peace. Cheung said that there was "nothing wrong" with what was said in the "supposed" transcript. "In fact, it shows what a successful negotiator does," Cheung said. Trump also dismissed the controversy, describing Witkoff's approach on the call as "a very standard form of negotiation" and "what a dealmaker does."