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Kremlin foreign-policy aide Yuri Ushakov said that recently published recordings of his conversations with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff were not leaked by Russia, claiming instead that “someone” was trying to undermine emerging contacts between Moscow and Washington.
Ushakov, speaking to a Russian state TV correspondent, declined to discuss the content of the calls but confirmed he “regularly” speaks with Witkoff and can “talk to anyone by phone.” He suggested the leak was intended to derail efforts to improve relations between Russia and the United States.
Relations were “slowly being rebuilt,” he said, adding that such communications were part of that process. Ushakov also confirmed that Witkoff and several members of President Donald Trump’s team were expected to visit Moscow next week as previously agreed.
Bloomberg earlier published transcripts appearing to show calls between Ushakov, Witkoff and Kremlin adviser Kirill Dmitriev, including discussions on how to present Russia’s proposals for a Ukraine peace plan to Trump.
