Steve Witkoff, special envoy of Donald Trump, gave advice to an adviser of Vladimir Putin on how to engage with the US president on the conflict in Ukraine, according to a phone conversation revealed Tuesday by Bloomberg.

The American news agency published the transcript of an exchange on October 14 between the former businessman and Yuri Ushakov, diplomatic advisor to the Russian president, in which a future plan to settle the conflict is discussed, inspired by the one announced shortly before to end the war in Gaza.

According to this document published by Bloomberg, Steve Witkoff suggests a phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, during which the latter would "congratulate the (American) president on this success".

The US special envoy, according to the same source, advises that this exchange take place before a visit to the White House by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, scheduled for October 17.

"I told the president that you, that the Russian Federation has always wanted a peace agreement. That's what I believe," Steve Witkoff also said, according to this transcript, referring to "a twenty-point peace plan, like we did for Gaza."

"He will congratulate him, he will say that Mr. Trump is truly a man of peace," his Russian interlocutor interjects, referring to Vladimir Putin.

The phone call between Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart took place on October 16, 2025, on the eve of Volodymyr Zelensky's visit.

The American president had asserted that "great progress" had been made during the conversation. Shortly before, he had said he was "very disappointed" in the Russian president.

On November 21, the United States proposed a peace plan for Ukraine that was considered very favorable to Russia.

It has since been amended, resulting in a new version that is "significantly better" for Kyiv, and which Steve Witkoff will discuss with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, at the request of Donald Trump.