Overview
- A Bloomberg-published transcript details a five-minute call on October 14 in which US envoy Steve Witkoff advised Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov on how Vladimir Putin should pitch a peace overture to President Trump, including praising the Gaza truce and invoking a “20-point” idea.
- The call is viewed as the origin of the subsequently released 28-point plan that drew criticism for demanding Ukrainian concessions, before revisions in Geneva added stronger security guarantees for Ukraine.
- President Trump said Witkoff will likely meet Putin in Moscow next week, possibly with Jared Kushner, to resolve remaining disputes, while Deputy Defense Secretary Dan Driscoll conducts talks with Ukrainian counterparts.
- Ukraine says it has a basic agreement with the United States on the plan’s main points, with sensitive issues to be addressed at an upcoming Selenskyj–Trump meeting in Washington.
- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte cautioned that the proposal needs much more work and must be enforceable with Putin, as the White House defended Witkoff’s frequent contacts as part of his mandate to pursue peace.