Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the negotiations on a peaceful settlement in Ukraine are continuing despite criticism and the publication of purported transcripts of talks between Russian and American officials. Materials first labeled as fake are now being described by the Kremlin as harmless, with Peskov urging people not to exaggerate their impact.
RIA Novosti reported that Peskov stressed those pushing to oust U.S. presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff are aiming to derail what he called still modest trends toward a settlement on Ukraine.
“There is a process under way; it’s a serious process,” he told Pavel Zarubin of the state-run Rossiya-1 channel.
Peskov also addressed media reports about alleged recordings of phone conversations between Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and U.S. special representative Steve Witkoff. Initially dismissed as fake, the publications are now being described in the Kremlin as “nothing terrible,” with Peskov saying their significance should not be overstated.
Earlier, Bloomberg published what it said were transcripts of Ushakov’s conversations with Witkoff and Russian Direct Investment Fund chief Kirill Dmitriev, discussing ways to engage the United States on a Ukraine settlement. Dmitriev called the publication a fake, though Bloomberg says it listened to a recording dated October 29.
RIA Novosti also quoted Peskov as saying the publications have no destructive impact and that the focus should remain on the progress and results of the talks.
“I wouldn’t overstate, let’s say, the destructive significance of these leaks,” he said.
On November 25, Bloomberg published what it said was a leak of conversations between Yuri Ushakov and U.S. special representative Steve Witkoff, without disclosing the source of the recordings. The materials claim a 28-point U.S. peace plan was drafted in Moscow and handed to Washington, and that Witkoff advised on how to effectively communicate with Donald Trump ahead of a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky.
Later, U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the report, saying the plan was part of routine talks and that the main goal of contacts with Russia is to “sell” Ukraine. Meanwhile, Yuri Ushakov declined to discuss the substance of the call but said Russia had nothing to do with the leak.
Ukraine’s Presidential Office responded to the Witkoff audio, saying Ukraine had no involvement in the publication and that key issues are discussed only at the presidential level.
