Ushakov: leak of call with Witkoff 'hybrid warfare'

Russia's Kremlin aid Yuri Ushakov has denounced the leak of recordings of phone calls between top advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as an “unacceptable” attempt to undermine Ukraine peace negotiations, calling it a form of hybrid warfare.

The transcripts of the conversation between Putin's Foreign Policy aid Ushakov and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff discussed how to pitch a Ukraine peace plan to President Donald Trump.

The information was first published in Bloomberg News. The publication noted, it had reviewed the recordings but did not disclose how it obtained access to the highly sensitive conversations.

Ushakov confirmed the authenticity of the recording. He said the calls were not intended for publication and described the leak as a deliberate effort to disrupt discussions between Russia and the United States. Speaking to Russian media, he said he would raise the matter directly with Witkoff.

Some of Ushakov’s discussions had been conducted via encrypted government channels, he told Kommersant newspaper, which are rarely intercepted or leaked unless done intentionally. 

However, he said that, "There are certain conversations on WhatsApp that, generally speaking, someone might somehow be able to listen to," Ushakov said.

The leaked material provides insight into Witkoff’s advisory role to the Kremlin, highlighting his closeness to Russia’s position on Ukraine. Bloomberg’s report, which included no byline or dateline, cited only that it had “reviewed and transcribed audio,” offering no details on sourcing or verification.

Ushakov confirmed the recordings’ authenticity but declined to comment on some content, stressing that leaking confidential discussions is “of course unacceptable.”

The leak raised questions about who had access to the conversations between senior U.S. and Russian officials and why the recordings were passed to a news agency.

Analysts say it could have implications for the ongoing negotiations over Ukraine and the perception of U.S.–Russia diplomacy.

• Ushakov: Putin did not discuss U.S. peace plan for Ukraine in Abu Dhabi

• Trump to send Witkoff to Russia as Ukraine peace talks continue

Bloomberg did not respond to a request for comment on the Russian criticism, or on how it obtained the recordings.

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Politics Trump Russia Russia-Ukraine Conflict Ukraine Steve Witkoff Yuri Ushakov leak