PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S CHIEF INTERLOCUTOR WITH THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT LAST MONTH ADVISED A SENIOR AIDE TO VLADIMIR PUTIN ON HOW THE RUSSIAN LEADER SHOULD GO ABOUT PITCHING THE U.S. PRESIDENT ON A UKRAINE PEACE PLAN.

 

THAT'S ACCORDING TO A TRANSCRIPT OF THE OCT. 14 CALL PUBLISHED TUESDAY BY BLOOMBERG NEWS.

 

THE NEWS AGENCY SAID IT REVIEWED A RECORDING OF THE CALL.

 

IT SAID TRUMP ENVOY STEVE WITKOFF ADVISED PUTIN’S FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER YURI USHAKOV THAT PUTIN SHOULD CALL THE U.S. LEADER TO CONGRATULATE HIM AND PRAISE TRUMP FOR THE GAZA PEACE DEAL.

 

WHEN ASKED BY RUSSIAN STATE MEDIA TO COMMENT ON BLOOMBERG'S REPORT, USHAKOV DID NOT QUESTION THE RECORDINGS' AUTHENTICITY BUT SAID THAT THEY HAD NOT BEEN LEAKED BY MOSCOW.

 

THE WHITE HOUSE DID NOT DISPUTE THE VERACITY OF THE TRANSCRIPT, AND TRUMP DESCRIBED WITKOFF'S REPORTED APPROACH TO THE RUSSIANS IN THE CALL AS “STANDARD” NEGOTIATING PROCEDURE.