Ukraine, Trump: “Witkoff’s words to Ushakov are standard negotiating procedure”

Washington (USA), Nov. 26 (LaPresse) – U.S. President Donald Trump defended envoy Steve Witkoff after Bloomberg released a transcript of his October 14 phone call with Yuri Ushakov, foreign policy adviser to Vladimir Putin, from which it appears that Witkoff gave advice on how the Russian leader should present to Trump the plan for Ukraine. According to the tycoon, Witkoff’s approach toward the Russians during the call is a “standard” negotiating procedure. “He has to sell this plan to Ukraine. And he has to sell Ukraine to Russia,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew to his home in Florida on Tuesday evening local time. “That’s what a negotiator does,” he added. A Republican congressman from Nebraska, Don Bacon, who criticizes Trump’s approach to Ukraine, instead stated that the transcript released by Bloomberg, which has not been denied by the White House, shows that Witkoff favors the Russians. “He cannot be trusted to conduct these negotiations. Would a paid Russian agent do less than him? He should be fired,” Bacon said on social media.