• U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff advised Kremlin on pitching Ukraine peace plan to Trump.
• Trump termed Witkoff's actions as a "standard thing" in negotiation.
• Peace plan criticized for favoring Russian demands; revised down to 19 points.
• Ushakov confirmed Witkoff's planned visit to Moscow next week.
• Proposals include possible concessions from Ukraine amidst ongoing tensions.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff has been reported to have instructed Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov on how to present a potential peace plan for Ukraine to President Donald Trump. During an October 14 call, Witkoff suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulate Trump for the recent Gaza ceasefire to create a favorable atmosphere for discussing the Ukraine peace proposal. "From that, it's going to be a really good call," Witkoff stated according to a transcript provided by Bloomberg aa, latimes.

Trump publicly defended Witkoff’s guidance, categorizing it as a routine aspect of negotiation. “He’s got to sell this to Ukraine. He’s got to sell Ukraine to Russia,” Trump remarked aboard Air Force One, asserting that such coaching is what a "dealmaker does" bbc, source, thehill. However, some lawmakers expressed concerns that Witkoff appeared overly sympathetic to Russian interests, with Rep. Don Bacon asserting that Witkoff could not be trusted to lead the negotiations source.

The discussions come against the backdrop of a proposed peace plan that has been heavily debated. The once 28-point plan has reportedly been condensed to 19 points following criticisms that it favored Russian positions. According to Ukrainian officials, the revised proposal must respect Ukraine's sovereignty and allow for security guarantees abcnews, indiatimes.

Ushakov confirmed there is a "preliminary agreement" for Witkoff to visit Moscow next week for talks with Putin and will also meet other members of the U.S. team engaged in Ukraine discussions. This follows a recent letter sent to Trump from European leaders expressing concerns about the proposed terms being negotiated in his absence indiatimes, abcnews.

Critics, including European leaders, have voiced that any resolution lacking input from Ukraine would not result in sustainable peace. “An agreement negotiated by great powers without the approval of the Ukrainians…won't be a basis for a real, sustainable peace,” said European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, emphasizing the necessity of including Ukraine's interests in the negotiations indiatimes, latimes.