Trump defends Witkoff after leak appears to show envoy coaching Russias

The US president said he had not heard the audio, but that it sounded like "standard" negotiations.

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Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he had not heard the audio, but that Witkoff was doing "what a dealmaker does" to "sell" a US-authored peace plan to both Russia and Ukraine.

The leaked call from last month emerged days after the 28-point draft peace plan was presented by the US, which largely reflected Russian positions on ending its full-scale war in Ukraine.

Witkoff has visited Moscow several times this year and will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin again next week.

He has never gone to Kyiv in his role as special envoy, though other US officials have visited and US army secretary Dan Driscoll went to Kyiv this week. Trump says he will hold further talks with the Ukrainians.