Ukraine peace deal pressure has intensified after new revelations exposed a sensitive phone call between Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and senior Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. The leaked exchange shed light on what the Trump team privately floated as the foundation for ending the war, revealing proposals far beyond what Ukraine has said it can accept.

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A leaked call shifts diplomatic momentum

A leaked 14 October phone call between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov has added new weight to ongoing Ukraine peace deal pressure. According to reporting by Bloomberg (https://www.bloomberg.com) and later confirmed by Ushakov on Russian state television (https://www.rt.com), Witkoff suggested that any viable peace agreement would require Ukraine to surrender all of Donetsk and potentially engage in an additional land swap. The envoy also encouraged Ushakov to adopt a more optimistic tone toward Donald Trump, adding tactical advice on when and how Vladimir Putin should raise the subject directly with the US president.

Washington, Moscow and the emerging 28-point plan

The recording reveals the early shape of a 28-point peace proposal that surfaced in early November. Witkoff compared the approach to a recent Gaza ceasefire framework he helped negotiate, telling Ushakov that Washington and Moscow could mirror the structure with a “20-point Trump plan for peace.” This conversation appears to be one of the earliest signals of the territorial concessions Russia now publicly claims would be acceptable as a basis for negotiations.

Trump later called Witkoff’s methods “standard” dealmaking and insisted that conveying both sides’ interests was necessary. The White House also declined to dispute the transcript’s accuracy, strengthening the perception that the plan has institutional backing in Washington.

Kyiv rejects territorial concessions

According to The Guardian’s reporting (https://www.theguardian.com), the 28-point proposal would force Ukraine to cede the entire Donetsk region—much of which remains under Ukrainian control—and formalize Russian control over Crimea and Luhansk, while freezing battle lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine has repeatedly said it will not accept any arrangement that recognizes Russian occupation or limits Kyiv’s military sovereignty. Ukrainian officials emphasized that no external actor can negotiate away their territory.

Rising geopolitical stakes

The revelation surfaced days before Trump announced he would dispatch Witkoff to Moscow and US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to Kyiv, signaling an attempt to accelerate a settlement. Trump told supporters he would only meet both Zelenskyy and Putin when a deal was nearly finalized. Meanwhile, Putin publicly described the US framework as a potential “basis” for a final agreement, though the Kremlin insists no detailed talks have occurred.

The leak also arrives during a moment when Trump has publicly criticized Putin’s refusal to end the war, suggesting the conflict is undermining Russia’s global image.

A fragile and contested negotiation path

The Witkoff call highlights how far the US plan diverges from Ukrainian red lines. As Ukraine peace deal pressure rises, the gap between Washington’s diplomatic ambitions and Kyiv’s survival goals may widen, shaping a tense chapter in the war’s fourth year.