The exposure of Trump’s special envoy conversations with Putin’s aides reveals not only a betrayal of American interests but also signs of a controlled operation by Russian intelligence services.
On November 25, Bloomberg published recordings of phone conversations between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin’s inner circle. However, the real question lies not in the content of these conversations, but rather in the timing of their leak and the identity of those who genuinely support this revelation.
At the center of the scandal is Kirill Dmitriev, a Kyiv-born graduate of Western universities who became a key figure in the Kremlin’s lobbying network. The Insider calls him the brightest figure on this front and points to connections with FSB Lieutenant General Andrei Chobotov.
Various sources connect Dmitriev to the Foreign Intelligence Service, and his marriage to a woman from Putin’s daughter’s circle provided access to the highest levels of power. It was through Dmitriev that the Kremlin built its network of influence around Trump’s team.
What the recordings revealed
In a five-minute conversation on October 14, Witkoff essentially instructed Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov on how the Russian leader should manipulate Trump. Witkoff recommended that Putin personally call Trump before his meeting with Zelenskyy to congratulate him on the Gaza achievement and call him a “man of peace.”
Most candidly, Witkoff spoke about the real price of the deal: “Now, between you and me, I know what it takes to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere. But I’m saying instead of talking that way, let’s talk more hopefully.”
In a second conversation on October 29, Ushakov and Dmitriev openly discussed how to slip Russian demands to Witkoff under the guise of an “American plan.” Dmitriev suggested, “We’ll just draft this document from our position, and I’ll pass it along informally, making it clear that it’s all informal. And let them make it theirs.” This is precisely how Russian demands became what was presented as a Washington peace initiative.
Controlled leak as a special operation
The very fact of the recordings’ publication raises serious questions. Ushakov stated that some of his conversations were conducted through encrypted government channels that are usually secure unless one party deliberately allows interception. The Russians had the easiest access to the recordings since the FSB or GRU naturally controls communications at this level.
The most important question is timing. The recordings date from October 14 and 29 but were published only on November 25, precisely when the U.S. was pressuring Ukraine to accept a capitulation plan by Thanksgiving. President Trump had earlier demanded that Kyiv approve the proposal by the holiday, but after the leak, he stated he had no deadline for a deal. The publication forced Washington to back away from its harshest demands.
If the publication was a Russian operation, the goal is obvious: a controlled leak to ease pressure on Ukraine while keeping the negotiation process under Russian control. Interestingly, Witkoff himself accidentally hinted in a comment under journalist Barak Ravid’s article that the source of information might be “K,” obviously Kirill Dmitriev. He quickly deleted this message.
Coordination of intelligence services and disinformation networks
Russian intelligence expert Andrei Soldatov told the Wall Street Journal that the FSB, Foreign Intelligence Service, and Main Intelligence Directorate are increasingly cooperating, blurring the boundaries between different organizations. “Previously, the services were very separate, but now they exchange personnel and assets,” he explains.
Correspondence between Foreign Intelligence Service officers exposed by The Insider shows clear coordination with the GRU. After receiving a draft disinformation project, a series of calls began with General Andrei Averyanov, leader of GRU Unit 29155, known for its work conducting assassination and sabotage operations abroad. Russian intelligence services play a critical role in spreading disinformation online, and the Witkoff case fits this pattern.
Kremlin’s propaganda counterattack
After Bloomberg’s publication, the Russian propaganda machine launched a well-rehearsed campaign. Dmitriev said that “war profiteers & the deep state pour huge budgets into attacking the peace plan and smearing peacemakers—because war pays.” He called the report “fake” and added, “Thecloser we get to peace, the more desperate warmongers become.”
Ushakov claimed the leaked call was aimed at interfering with building Moscow-Washington relations. Russian commentators argued that the leak of conversations has “British ears” and is a provocation to derail negotiations. The entire reaction appeared almost instantly and was remarkably coordinated, a classic sign of a pre-planned information operation.
Expert reaction: from shock to outrage
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor commented sharply:“Outrageous on many levels. He intentionally sabotaged the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting by pushing the Russians to call the day before. And he is hopelessly naive to think that Putin really wants to end the war.”
Republican Congressman Don Bacon was even more direct: “For those who oppose the Russian invasion and want to see Ukraine prevail as a sovereign & democratic country, it is clear that Witkoff fully favors the Russians. He cannot be trusted to lead these negotiations. Would a Russian paid agent do less than he?” His colleague Brian Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent, called it a big problem and urged an end to secret meetings.
Journalists were also stunned. The Economist’s foreign correspondent Oliver Carroll wrote, “Even in the age of Trump, just staggering. Here is Steve Witkoff, an American official, coaching a Kremlin adviser about how Putin should deal with Trump.”
Christopher Miller from the Financial Times added, “Remarkable story. Stunning stuff, even if it’s what we have come to expect from Witkoff. Here he explicitly advises Russian officials on how Putin should deal with Trump and also shows a staggering, fundamental misunderstanding of Putin’s goals and the war.”
Classic recruitment scheme
This scandal reveals the classic scheme of Russian intelligence services: recruitment through flattery, ambition, and ego. Witkoff is not just a naive businessman but an instrument in the hands of FSB and GRU professionals who, through Dmitriev, control the negotiation process.
Dmitriev made the most important investment of his life in the 2000s: he married a woman with connections to Putin’s daughter, and through this marriage gained access to the highest levels of power.
The leak of conversations, whether a Russian operation or Western counterintelligence, shows that the Kremlin has built a powerful network of influence around Trump. And most alarmingly, they are working directly in the White House, dictating the terms of an “American” peace plan that was actually written in Moscow.
