On Newsmax, Rick Gates says Steve Witkoff's leaked comments to a senior Kremlin official were “totally appropriate”

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

On November 25, Bloomberg News reported:

US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, fresh from the triumph of the Gaza peace deal, held a phone call last month with a senior Kremlin official to suggest they work together on a similar plan for Ukraine — and that Vladimir Putin should raise it with Donald Trump.

In an Oct. 14 phone call that lasted a little over five minutes, Witkoff advised Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s top foreign policy aide, on how the Russian leader should broach the issue with Trump. His guidance included suggestions on setting up a Trump-Putin call before Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s White House visit later that week and using the Gaza agreement as a way in.

“We put a 20-point Trump plan together that was 20 points for peace and I’m thinking maybe we do the same thing with you,” Witkoff told Ushakov, according to a recording of the conversation reviewed and transcribed by Bloomberg.

From the November 26, 2025, edition of Newsmax's Newsline

TRACY SABOL (ANCHOR): Rick, I want to start with you. Steve Witkoff, as you know, is headed to Moscow next week. Do you think that this leak will impact that trip and the road to peace?

RICK GATES (GUEST): Not at all.

And I think it was totally appropriate for what Steve did. I mean, when you're in high — you know, high profile, tense negotiations like this, it's very important to craft a message to in order to get that deal done. Obviously, the peace process is very fragile. This is part of the process.

By the way, advisers advise. Right? And if you're asked a question by the opponent side saying, hey, we're interested in getting this done, but how can we make sure we get it done? Of course you'll provide that advice.

So, I think it's absolutely essential that Steve is there, being able to do the types of things he's doing to be able to have that dialogue, and I think it's absolutely appropriate.

And by the way, Steve's also going back to the president and saying, hey, here's a report of my meeting. Here's what I told him. Here's what I said. So the president is going to be fully in the loop on this. I think it was the right thing to do. And I think it's going to lead hopefully to this peace process getting done.