On November 25, Bloomberg published transcripts of two phone calls involving Yuri Ushakov, a top aide to the Russian president — one with Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and another with Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev. Both conversations, held in October, centered on a proposed plan to end the war in Ukraine. The transcripts show Witkoff speaking warmly with his Kremlin counterparts and offering Ushakov advice on how Putin could present his position to Trump. They also imply that Dmitriev passed along a list of Russia’s demands for a peace plan. Dmitriev has called them fake, but Ushakov hasn’t denied their authenticity. The tone and content of the exchanges have angered many in Ukraine and across the West. Meduza shares a selection of reactions.

Christopher Miller, chief Ukraine correspondent for the Financial Times

“Stunning stuff even if it’s what we have come to expect from Witkoff. Here he explicitly advises Russian officials how Putin should deal with Trump, and also shows a staggering, fundamental misunderstanding of Putin’s goals and the war.”

J.D. Vance, vice president of the United States

“The media is lying in order to derail the president’s agenda. It’s really that simple.”

Kirill Dmitriev, Russian presidential special envoy (responding to Vance’s statement above on X)

“Yes. And this is a well-funded, well-organized malicious media machine built to spread fake narratives, smear opponents and keep people confused.”

John Haltiwanger, journalist at Foreign Policy

“Question of the day: Who leaked the Witkoff-Ushakov + Dmitriev-Ushakov calls to Bloomberg? Whoever did is likely trying to help Kyiv, because the transcripts provide ammo to critics of the 28-point plan (that’s since been revised) who have decried it as a capitulation to Russia.”

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Christo Grozev, investigative journalist

“This genius [Dmitriev] held a highly classified discussion with Putin’s key foreign policy advisor on an unencrypted GSM line. Can’t believe after 10 years of us basing our most damning investigations on cell phone data, these idiots are still doing it.”

Yaroslav Trofimov, journalist at The Wall Street Journal

“Everyone is speculating on the source of the leak. Literally dozens of countries have the capacity to intercept this kind of conversations on unencrypted cellphones, which is why professionals use other means. And obviously whoever has these tapes must have much more.”

Yuri Ushakov, aide to the Russian president

“Yes, there are contacts over secure lines, where leaks almost never happen unless one of the parties allows them on purpose. And then there are certain conversations on WhatsApp, which someone can apparently find a way to listen in on. In this case, it’s hard to imagine that the leak came from anyone involved in the call.”

Don Bacon, Republican representative from Nebraska, retired Air Force Brigadier General

“For those who oppose the Russian invasion and want to see Ukraine prevail as a sovereign & democratic country, it is clear that Witkoff fully favors the Russians. He cannot be trusted to lead these negotiations. Would a Russian paid agent do less than he? He should be fired.”

Brian Fitzpatrick, Republican representative from Pennsylvania

“This is a major problem. And one of the many reasons why these ridiculous side shows and secret meetings need to stop. Allow Secretary of State Marco Rubio to do his job in a fair and objective manner.”

Meduza’s Russian-language readers react to the plan

• ‘There is no such thing as a just peace’: Meduza’s Russian-language readers react to Trump’s Ukraine–Russia peace plan

Donald Trump, president of the United States

“That’s a standard thing. [Witkoff’s] gotta sell this to Ukraine, he’s gotta sell Ukraine to Russia. That’s what a dealmaker does […] I haven’t heard it, but I heard it was standard negotiation. And I would imagine he’s saying the same thing to Ukraine, because each party has to give and take.”

Alexey Zhuravlev, first deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Defense Committee

“Desperate attempts are being made to counter the peace initiatives with something — anything. And they’re relying on tried-and-true CIA methods, leaking secretly recorded conversations. There’s nothing objectionable in them, by the way, though the style of the exchange does sound a lot like the Russian villains in Hollywood action movies. It’s obvious they’re counting on U.S. society, thoroughly poisoned by Russophobia, to vilify Witkoff for this connection with Russia alone.”

Kateryna Lisunova, Ukrainian journalist and media consultant

“If there’s one undeniable conclusion from the past week, it’s that the Ukrainians have proven themselves to be the only side genuinely willing to negotiate. And they’ve done it not through back channels, not behind the Administration’s back, but officially, openly, and honestly. They took the worst proposal imaginable — a document with 28 of Russia’s boldest demands (even the Russians on those tapes admitted they were too maximalist) — and the Ukrainians still said, ‘Okay, let’s talk.’ They built a meaningful counter-proposal, including some concessions, starting from the worst possible position. And they even met the Thanksgiving-week ultimatum deadline.”

Roman Sheremeta, Ukrainian economist

“While Russian missiles rain down on Ukrainian cities, a U.S. citizen is negotiating away Ukrainian land behind closed doors — not with Ukraine, but with the Kremlin. That is not diplomacy. It is collaboration. It is treason. And it puts American interests, global security, and millions of Ukrainian lives at risk.”

Military Informant, Russian pro-war Telegram channel

“This kind of leak speaks volumes about how part of the American state is desperately trying to block a ‘deal’ between Russia and Ukraine in its current form. There’s no other way to read Bloomberg’s piece than as a ‘last-ditch foul,’ timed for when Witkoff was planning a meeting with Putin in Moscow. Both Ukraine and Europe will do everything they can to discredit this plan by Trump (or no longer entirely by Trump).”

Alexander Kots, Russian propagandist and military blogger

“Who is so desperate to portray the U.S. president’s special envoy as a manipulator working in Moscow’s favor? Who has been taking a hardline pro-war stance this entire time, yet stays on the sidelines, letting the French and Germans take the lead? […] Well of course — Britain’s prime minister, [Keir] Starmer. London is trying to torpedo Witkoff, casting him as a pro-Russian negotiator who is helping deceive the U.S. president.”

Rybar, Russian pro-war Telegram channel

“The message of these publications is: ‘Alarm! The Trump administration is working for Russia!’ But can such recordings seriously affect what’s unfolding now around so-called Ukraine? Hardly. […] The talks are nowhere near the final stage, and the disagreements over key issues haven’t gone anywhere. In this situation, leaks like this have nothing substantial to disrupt. And, as before, the outcome of meetings and conversations will be determined by the successes of the Russian Armed Forces on the battlefield and Russia’s ability to keep fighting.”

Russia’s elites and the war

• Journalist Farida Rustamova explains how Russia’s elites went from dreading war to fearing peace