Who Leaked Steve Witkoff’s Phone Call With Russia? Three ...

By Sam StevensonShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

Questions are being asked about who could have leaked details of a highly classified phone call between the White House and the Kremlin in which sensitive Ukraine war plans were discussed.

Responding to the leak, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told Newsweek: “This story proves one thing: Special Envoy Witkoff talks to officials in both Russia and Ukraine nearly every day to achieve peace, which is exactly what President Trump appointed him to do.”

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Why It Matters

The leak of a conversation between Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, and senior Kremlin official Yuri Ushakov has raised significant concerns about the integrity of ongoing negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

It has potentially far-reaching implications for U.S.-Russian relations, Ukraine’s sovereignty, and broader transatlantic security and comes at a time of high-stakes diplomatic efforts to end the fighting in Ukraine, with Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow negotiating the terms of a potential peace deal.

Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin via phone for comment.

What To Know

Bloomberg News first reported that in October, Witkoff advised Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser on how to pitch a Ukraine peace proposal to Trump.

According to a transcript reviewed by Bloomberg, Witkoff coached Ushakov to congratulate Trump for brokering a Gaza peace deal and to position Russia as supportive.

Both Russian and U.S. officials have since insisted that any peace agreement remains confidential and subject to ongoing negotiation.

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Three Potential Suspects

Although the exact circumstances of the call's interception and leak remain unclear, potential suspects are likely to fall into three categories.

They are: U.S. intelligence operatives, the Russian government or associated actors, or a NATO nation seeking to derail talks seen as unfavorable to European security interests.

Suspect #1: U.S. Intelligence Operatives

Former acting U.S. Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell and journalist Glenn Greenwald have publicly floated the possibility of someone within U.S. intelligence being involved, though no direct evidence has emerged.

Grenell posted on X: “Find the leaker and fire them immediately. No excuses. The anonymous leaker is a national security risk.”

And Greenwald posted on X: “Who is eavesdropping on Steve Witkoff's calls with Russian officials to end the war in Ukraine, then leaking them to Bloomberg?

“It's the same thing the NSA did to Michael Flynn when he was negotiating with Russian officials. It's the most serious leaking crime in the US Code.”

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Suspect #2: A NATO Nation

The second possible suspect would be a NATO nation seeking to shape or derail ongoing peace negotiations.

Both U.S. and Russian officials have suggested that the leak was intended to disrupt sensitive peace talks, fueling speculation about its source and motives.

The initial 28-point plan discussed in these conversations was criticized for perceived pro-Kremlin concessions by Ukraine and European allies, leading to further revisions.

And the leak’s timing coincided with reports that Ukraine had agreed to the U.S. plan in principle, pending only minor details.

John Haltiwanger of Foreign Policy wrote in a post on X: “Who leaked the Witkoff-Ushakov and Dmitriev-Ushakov calls to Bloomberg? Whoever did is likely trying to help Kyiv, because the transcripts provide ammo to critics of the 28-point plan (that's since been revised) who have decried it as a capitulation to Russia.”

He added: “Witkoff, who has been criticized in the past for echoing Kremlin talking points re: Ukraine, comes off in the transcript as supporting Russia's position on territory and as believing that Moscow genuinely wants peace (a lot of European leaders and top experts on Putin don't agree).”

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Suspect #3: Russia

The Kremlin has strongly condemned the publication of the call and denied involvement in its dissemination.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, accused European media of acting as agents of “hybrid war” against Moscow to hinder U.S.-Russia rapprochement.

However, the fact that a call between Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, an economic adviser to the Russian president, was also intercepted strongly indicates Russian involvement—possibly via a European intelligence agency proxy, according to the former Bellingcat journalist who exposed the Skripal poisonings on UK soil.

Responding directly to Dmitriev via a “quote post” on X, Christo Grozev said: “This genius held a highly classified discussion with Putin's key foreign policy advisor on an unencrypted GSM line. Can't believe that after 10 years of us basing our most damning investigations on cell phone data, these idiots are still doing it. Here's to never learning.”

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What People Are Saying

Speaking in Russian, Yuri Ushakov told the Russia 1 channel: “I don’t know why they’re so interested in publishing conversations. Why is this being done? In my view, for what purpose? To interfere. It’s hardly being done to improve relations. Right now, relations are being built, built with difficulty—being built through these kinds of contacts, including telephone ones.”

Trump told reporters on Air Force One: “I haven't heard it no, but that’s a standard thing because he’s got to sell this to Ukraine, he’s got to sell Ukraine to Russia, that’s what a dealmaker does, you've got to say 'look, they want this, you’ve got to convince them of this,' you know, that’s a very standard form of negotiation.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, referring to the new peace draft worked out by Ukrainian and U.S. teams, said on X: "The principles in this document can be developed into deeper agreements. It is in our shared interest that security is real. I count on continued active cooperation with the American side and President Trump. Much depends on the United States because it’s America's strength that Russia takes most seriously."

Daniel Hoffman, a former CIA Moscow station chief, said: “It’s really hard to speculate. It could be 100m different things, including somebody on the Russian side trying to hurt Witkoff’s reputation.”

What Happens Next

Trump has stated that Witkoff will travel to Moscow next week for further talks and that he intends to meet both Putin and Zelensky only once a final peace agreement is close.

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