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Recording: Trump Envoy Said Donetsk Must Be Ceded for Peace, Urged More Optimistic Messaging

A recording and transcript of a 14 October call show Steve Witkoff telling Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov that a peace deal in Ukraine would likely require Russia to gain Donetsk and possibly other territorial exchanges. Witkoff urged more optimistic public messaging, proposed modelling talks on a Gaza ceasefire framework, and referenced a multi‑point "Trump plan." The exchange appears linked to a controversial 28‑point proposal that would cede Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea to Russia and freeze front lines elsewhere — an outcome Kyiv rejects. Witkoff has been dispatched to meet Putin as diplomats pursue a framework for negotiations.

07:38 AM, 11/26/2025Conflict
Recording: Trump Envoy Said Donetsk Must Be Ceded for Peace, Urged More Optimistic Messaging

A recording and transcript of a 14 October phone call reveal that Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, told a senior Kremlin aide that a negotiated settlement in Ukraine would likely require Russia gaining control of Donetsk and possibly a territorial exchange. The five-minute call with Yuri Ushakov, President Vladimir Putin’s top foreign policy adviser, also included tactical advice about public messaging and diplomatic sequencing.

What Witkoff said

During the call, Witkoff said he believed land concessions were necessary and recommended a more hopeful public tone. He told Ushakov:

“Now, me to you, I know what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere. But I’m saying instead of talking like that, let’s talk more hopefully because I think we’re going to get to a deal here.”

Witkoff also suggested modelling U.S.–Russia talks on the Gaza ceasefire he helped negotiate, saying the parties could produce a multi‑point framework together and referenced a previous “Trump plan” for peace.

Connection to the 28‑point proposal

The exchange appears linked to a widely discussed 28‑point proposal that would require Ukraine to cede the Donetsk region to Russia — including areas still under Ukrainian control — convert those territories into a demilitarized buffer zone recognized as Russian, and also grant Russia control of Luhansk and Crimea while freezing front lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The proposal has drawn heavy criticism, and Ukrainian officials say they will not recognize Russian sovereignty over occupied territories or accept constraints on their armed forces.

Diplomatic manoeuvres and reactions

Witkoff offered practical suggestions for how Putin might raise the plan with Mr Trump, including arranging a Trump–Putin call before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s scheduled visit to the White House. Ushakov appeared receptive and indicated Putin could offer praise for Trump as a peacemaker.

Separately, Mr Trump announced he was sending Witkoff to meet Putin in Moscow and that U.S. officials, including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, would meet Ukrainian counterparts as diplomats pursue a framework for talks. Mr Trump said he would meet with Zelenskyy and Putin only when a deal to end the war was "final or in its final stages.”

Why it matters

The call offers a rare glimpse into informal channels shaping high‑stakes diplomacy and the kinds of concessions being discussed behind the scenes. Any plan that effectively cedes Ukrainian territory to Russia would be politically explosive and faces staunch rejection from Kyiv, complicating efforts to reach a negotiated settlement.

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