A rather interesting report has surfaced regarding U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Earlier in the week, it was reported that a peace deal initially presented to Ukraine was nothing more than a Russian wish list.
Now, reports are surfacing that Witkoff was coaching up Russian aides on how to get Trump to buy into the plan, using, among other things, flattery.
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) told the media that the initial peace plan was essentially a list of demands that had been given to the United States by Russia.
According to Rounds, that characterization was confirmed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
He stated, “This administration was not responsible for this release in its current form. They want to utilize it as a starting point.”
I don’t know if it was a miscommunication or misunderstanding, but the administration immediately pushed back on the statement.
After Rounds made his comment to the media, Rubio denied that what he said was the case, posting to X, “The peace proposal was authored by the U.S. It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations.”
He continued, “It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine,”
State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott also called the statement from Rounds “blatantly false.”
He stated, “As Secretary Rubio and the entire Administration has consistently maintained, this plan was authored by the United States, with input from both the Russians and Ukrainians.”
After that little controversy, reports broke that Witkoff was coaching up the Russians, advising them that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was due at the White House this week, but that he would get them on the phone with Trump before that took place.
Witkoff allegedly also told the Russians to play into Trump’s ego with flattery, reportedly telling the aide to congratulate Trump on his Gaza peace deal and to refer to the president as a man of peace. He further stated, "Here’s what I think would be amazing. Maybe he says to President Trump: you know, Steve and Yuri discussed a very similar 20-point plan to peace and that could be something that we think might move the needle a little bit. We’re open to those sorts of things."
When Trump was asked about the audio, he responded, "I haven't heard it. No, but it's a standard thing, you know, because he's going to sell this to Ukraine. He's got to sell Ukraine to Russia. That's what he's, that's what a dealmaker does. You got to say, look, they want this. You've got to convince him of this. You know, that's a very standard form of negotiation.”
Both sides are trying to twist the narrative here. Witkoff's supporters are saying he was just greasing the wheels for Trump, while his detractors are making the situation out to be some type of deep state penetration inside the administration.
I think we will get a much better feel for how Trump feels about this after the dust settles over the next few days, but my first impression is that this is not a good look for the president, as I think it make him look like someone who can be easily manipulated, which plays right into his open desire to be praised by everyone in the media on these deals. Even if Trump dismisses the report as business as usual, his detractors are going to pounce on this story and use it against him.
