Trump Reacts to Report That Steve Witkoff Advised Russia on Ukraine Deal

 https://www.newsweek.com/trump-reacts-to-witkoff-advising-russia-11109901

President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns about special envoy Steve Witkoff advising Russian officials on how to pitch a Ukraine peace plan, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that the conversations sounded like “standard negotiation.”

In his first direct response to a Bloomberg report that Witkoff privately coached senior Kremlin advisers on appealing to Trump, the president said the dealmaker was doing what was required to move both sides toward agreement.

Bloomberg reported that Witkoff was recorded coaching senior Putin advisers on how to frame a proposal to Trump, and urging them to emphasize their willingness to make a deal. In one conversation reviewed by the outlet, Witkoff described having drafted a 20-point peace plan and suggested Russia echo that language in a future call with Trump.