Steve Witkoff, fresh from the success of the Gaza peace agreement, held a brief phone call last month with Yuri Ushakov, President Vladimir Putin’s top foreign policy adviser, to explore options for a similar approach to ending the war in Ukraine. During the October 14 call, which lasted just over five minutes, Witkoff offered guidance on how Putin might approach Donald Trump, suggesting a call between the two leaders before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s White House visit later that week. He also recommended using the Gaza deal as a point of reference.
“We put a 20-point Trump plan together that was 20 points for peace and I’m thinking maybe we do the same thing with you,” Witkoff told Ushakov, according to a recording reviewed by Bloomberg. The conversation is believed to have laid the groundwork for the 28-point peace plan that the US has since pushed Ukraine to consider as the basis for negotiations.
During the discussion, Witkoff emphasized his respect for Putin and framed the conversation in a constructive, hopeful tone. He advised that Putin could congratulate Trump on the Gaza deal and signal that Russia was committed to peace. Ushakov appeared receptive, indicating that Putin would follow the suggested approach. Two days later, Trump and Putin spoke for two-and-a-half hours, which the US president described as “very productive,” and announced plans for a future summit in Budapest.
Following the call, Witkoff continued diplomatic engagements with Moscow, meeting with Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, in Miami, and facilitating further discussions between Dmitriev and Ushakov regarding Russia’s negotiating stance. Bloomberg notes that these communications provided early insight into the conditions Russia would likely seek, including territorial arrangements in eastern Ukraine and the Donbas region.
The 28-point plan reportedly included proposals for Ukraine to withdraw troops from areas in Donbas that Russia had not captured militarily, establishing them as a neutral buffer zone, and granting Russia de facto recognition of claims to Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk. While the specifics of Russia’s proposals remain unconfirmed, Bloomberg reports that Ukraine has faced significant pressure from the US to consider the plan, with threats of reduced intelligence support if it refused, though negotiations with Secretary of State Marco Rubio have since eased some of that pressure.
Witkoff characterized the process as leveraging hope and diplomacy to achieve a deal. “Me to you, I know what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done,” he said. “The president will give me a lot of space and discretion to get to the deal… I think that could lead to big stuff.” Ushakov responded positively, setting the stage for further engagement between the US and Russia over the coming weeks.
This episode marks a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes efforts shaping US-Russia diplomacy on Ukraine, highlighting how presidential envoys are actively mediating discussions and attempting to balance strategic goals with diplomatic nuance.
