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Rep. Mike Turner: White House 'Should Be Very Concerned' After Leaked Witkoff–Russia Call

Rep. Mike Turner warned the White House “should be very concerned” after a leaked call between special envoy Steve Witkoff and a senior Russian official. Turner said placing President Putin’s remarks ahead of President Zelensky’s in the released material is particularly troubling and urged that Ukraine’s sovereignty remain paramount. President Trump defended Witkoff as doing routine negotiating work, while critics say the call risks weakening U.S. support for Kyiv. Efforts to end the war continue but have not yet produced a breakthrough.

09:20 AM, 12/01/2025Politics

Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said Sunday that the White House “should be very concerned” after a phone call involving special envoy Steve Witkoff and a senior Russian official was leaked to the public.

Turner told CBS News's Nancy Cordes on Face the Nation that a single excerpt taken from a lengthy negotiation should not be judged as the whole conversation, but that any released material needs careful scrutiny and voices urging caution should be heard.

He said the reported sequencing of remarks — notably inserting President Vladimir Putin’s comments ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s — is troubling. “The orchestration of inserting Putin’s voice before Zelensky’s is very concerning,” Turner said, adding that the United States must keep Ukraine’s sovereignty and security front and center.

Administration reaction and wider context

President Trump defended Witkoff after the leak, calling the envoy’s discussion with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov a routine part of negotiating. “That’s a standard thing. He’s got to sell this to Ukraine, he’s got to sell Ukraine to Russia,” Trump told reporters. “That’s what a dealmaker does.”

Critics and supporters of Ukraine have flagged the call as potentially undermining U.S. backing for Kyiv, saying portions of the conversation suggested efforts to shape a settlement more favorable to Russian interests or to slow American assistance.

Since the start of his second term, the president and his team have pushed for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine, but those efforts have not yet produced a resolution. The president has met separately with both President Zelensky and President Putin in the United States in recent months.

“When excerpts like this emerge, we need caution and clarity — and priority must remain with Ukraine’s sovereignty,” Turner said.

The White House has been contacted for comment but no detailed public response has been released at the time of publication.

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