“We drew up a 20-point plan, which was 20 points for peace, and I’m thinking maybe we should do the same with you.” In this way, Steve Witkov, referring to the government’s plan as an example, opened the discussion to his close advisor, Yuri Ushakov, about the 28-point plan during a phone call that the two of them had on October 14, the content of which was revealed by the Bloomberg agency, giving both the audio and the transcript of the conversation.
In the relevant Bloomberg article and from the released document, it is described how Witkov advises the close associate of Vladimir Putin on how Moscow should communicate its plan to be more easily accepted by the American president. According to Vytkov, a phone call between Trump and Putin could be arranged shortly before the US president’s meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, which was expected later that week at the White House (a phone call that eventually took place), and the main idea in it should be that the plan for Ukraine could be like that for Gaza.
The negotiating tactic that probably led to the 28-point plan
The debate, according to Bloomberg, is a prime opportunity to examine Witkov’s negotiating tactics, but also gives a good look at what appears to be ground zero of the drafting of the 28-point peace proposal the US has pressured Ukraine to accept as a basis for any negotiations.
As Bloomberg notes, at the time of the Witkov-Usakov conversation, Trump was basking in the success of his effort to end the war in Gaza. The day before, he had become the first US president to address Israel’s Knesset since 2008 after securing the release of the last 20 living hostages held by Hamas.
The recording specifically shows that during his conversation with Ushakov, Witkov told his Russian counterpart that he had deep respect for Putin and that he had told Trump that he believed Russia had always wanted a peace deal. The US envoy mentioned Zelensky’s upcoming visit and suggested that Putin could talk to Trump before that meeting.
How Witkov told Putin what to say
“Zelensky is coming to the White House on Friday,” Witkoff reported. “I’ll go too, because they want me there, but I think if possible we should have the call with your boss before Friday’s meeting.”
Ushakov asked Witkov if it would be “useful” for Putin to call Trump. Witkoff said it would be.
He also recommended that Putin congratulate Trump on the Gaza peace deal, say that Russia supported it and that he respects him as a man of peace. “From that, the call is going to go really well,” Witkoff said.
“You know what would be amazing?” he then added. “Maybe he’ll say to President Trump: you know, Steve and Yuri discussed a very similar 20-point plan for peace, and that could be something that might help a little bit — we’re open to things like that.”
Usakov appeared to take some of the advice. Putin will “congratulate” and say that “Mr. Trump is a real man of peace,” he said.
Trump and Putin finally spoke by phone two days later at Russia’s request, which the US president described as “very productive”. After the conversation, he announced plans to meet the Russian leader in Budapest and also said Putin had congratulated him on the Gaza deal.
After that call, Witkov met with Kirill Dimitriev, another senior Kremlin adviser, in Miami, according to an interview Dimitriev gave to Axios. Dimitriev told Axios that he spent three days in Miami starting on October 24. A spokesman declined to comment.
Dimitriev’s conversation with Ushakov and a Russian plan
On Oct. 29, Dimitriev and Ushakov spoke by phone in Russian and discussed how hard Moscow should push for its demands in any peace proposal, according to another recording reviewed by Bloomberg.
As Putin’s two advisers weighed options, Usakov argued that they should ask for “the maximum” in their proposals to the White House. He said he was concerned that the US would misinterpret any proposals and take something away, but then claim there was a deal, which he told his colleague would likely bring the end of the negotiations closer.
Dimitriev, who is also head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, suggested sending a document informally and said he was confident that even if the US did not fully adopt the Russian version, it would at least do something very close to it. He later assured Ushakov that he would say exactly what he was told to say and that Ushakov could also discuss the document later with “Steve”.
After the discussions, the pressures began
As Bloomberg points out, there is no evidence that the Russian proposal discussed by Putin’s two advisers was ultimately the 28-point plan that was presented a few days ago, but as the agency notes, since then Ukraine has begun to receive intense pressure to accept the proposal drafted by Witkov with the help of his Russian counterparts in the Kremlin. US officials threatened to cut critical intelligence support to the Ukrainian military if Zelensky refused to accept the offer, although Kiev has since managed to win some concessions and persuade the US to slow down, following talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday.
Under the terms first proposed by the US earlier this month, Ukraine would have to withdraw its troops from parts of the eastern Donbas region that Russia has failed to capture militarily. This area would become a neutral demilitarized zone, internationally recognized as Russian.
Moscow would also receive de facto recognition of Russian claims to the Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Most of the rest of the front line, including the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia, would effectively “freeze”. Ukraine and its European allies have insisted that the war must stop along the current lines.
“Sounds good”
These are some of the terms that Witkov and Usakov appeared to foreshadow during their conversation last month.
“Confidentially between us, I know what it will take to reach a peace agreement,” Witkoff said. “Donetsk and maybe a territory swap somewhere. But I say, instead of talking like that, let’s talk more optimistically, because I think we’re going to reach an agreement here.”
“The president will give me a lot of room and discretion to close the deal,” he added. “So if we can create the opportunity so that, after that, I can say that I spoke with Yuri and we had a conversation, I think that can lead to important things.”
“Okay,” Ushakov replied. “Sounds good.”
