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Leaked transcript is last ditch attempt to sabotage Trump over Ukraine peace deal

November 26, 2025 | | Print Article

Russian collusion took a new spin after a leaked transcript regarding peace negotiations became fodder for freakouts as an end to the war in Ukraine was in sight.

Though typically said in jest, hyperbolic ideas, such as the left being on the side of cancer if President Donald Trump ever announced a cure, appear increasingly plausible whenever a new round of uproar presents itself. This week, the tumult was presented with Bloomberg News’ publication of leaked transcripts, which included presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff advising a Russian official on how to speak “hopefully” to keep Trump amiable to the Kremlin’s wishes.

Snippets of conversation circulating on social media included one from the Oct. 14 call that found Witkoff telling Russian foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, “I know what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere. But I’m saying instead of talking like that, let’s talk more hopefully because I think we’re going to get a deal here. And I think Yuri, the president will give me a lot of space and discretion to get to the deal.”

Among those reacting to the leaked transcripts, Christopher Miller, the Financial Times’ chief correspondent in Kyiv, Ukraine, had shared screenshots with the caption, “Remarkable story. Stunning stuff even if it’s what we have come to expect from Witkoff. Here he explicitly advises Russian officials how Putin should deal with Trump, and also shows a staggering fundamental misunderstanding of Putin’s goals and the war.”

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Bloomberg had also shared an Oct. 29 exchange between Ushakov and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s economic adviser Kirill Dmitriev, who suggested the peace plan was Russia’s proposal.

“No, look. I think we’ll just make this paper from our position, and I’ll informally pass it along, making it clear that it’s all informal,” read the transcript. “And let them do like their own. But, I don’t think they’ll take exactly our version, but at least it’ll be as close to it as possible.”

Adding his voice to the uproar, Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) was one of a number of members of Congress who reacted on X, “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.”

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As it happened, the timing of the transcripts’ release followed a scathing statement from Vice President J.D. Vance criticizing establishment Republicans who’ve seemingly spent more time focused on addressing the issues of foreign countries than the problems faced at home.

“But you know what really fires up the beltway GOP? Not any of the above,” wrote Vance after bringing up housing costs, welfare fraud, violent crime, and more. “Instead, the political class is really angry that the Trump administration may finally bring a four year conflict in Eastern Europe to a close.”

Addressing the severity of the leaks, journalist Glenn Greenwald posted, “Who is eavesdropping on Steve Witkoff’s calls with Russian officials to end the war in Ukraine, then leaking them to Bloomberg? It’s the same thing the NSA did to Michael Flynn when he was negotiating with Russian officials. It’s the most serious leaking crime in the US Code.”

The timing comes as Trump had spoken to the “tremendous progress” in negotiations as he dispatched Witkoff to meet with Putin. The chief executive had stated on Truth Social in part, “In the hopes of finalizing this Peace Plan, I have directed my Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with President Putin in Moscow and, at the same time, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will be meeting with the Ukrainians.”

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“I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages,” added Trump.

While facing questions about this aboard Air Force One, the president was also asked about the leaked transcripts, to which he indicated that he hadn’t heard the calls in question. He went on to liken the described exchanges to “standard” negotiations, suspecting that similar sells would have been made to Ukraine to bring them closer to an agreement.

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Kevin Haggerty
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