Kremlin Leak SHOCK: Is This Sabotaging Peace?! Putin Aide Furious!

A top Kremlin aide is accusing someone of intentionally trying to derail potential peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, and the finger-pointing has begun. Yury Ushakov, the Kremlin's foreign policy advisor, confirmed a "preliminary agreement" for Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Trump's envoy, to visit Moscow next week. This comes amid a renewed push from the White House to broker a deal to end the ongoing conflict.

Kremlin Leak SHOCK: Is This Sabotaging Peace?! Put...

Ushakov dropped the news that Witkoff would "definitely" meet with President Vladimir Putin if the visit goes ahead as planned. The visit will likely involve other members of the American team working on the thorny Ukrainian dossier, and that they "will begin discussions." It sounds hopeful, right? Well, there's a wrinkle.

The announcement follows the leaking of excerpts from a supposed phone call between Witkoff and Ushakov, published by Bloomberg. In the recording, Witkoff allegedly offers advice on how Putin should present the Kremlin's plan to end the war to Trump. It's a bit like a negotiation coach session, and it’s raising eyebrows. Ushakov appears to have confirmed the call's authenticity but isn't commenting on the substance, claiming the leak was deliberately timed to scuttle the peace effort. A little cloak-and-dagger action, perhaps?

"I speak with Witkoff quite often, but I do not comment on the substance of our conversations because they are confidential. No one should comment on them, actually," Ushakov stated, denying any Russian involvement in the leak. Instead, he floated the idea that Witkoff's detractors might be behind it. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to play spoiler in a negotiation of this magnitude. It’s a high-stakes game, after all.

When quizzed about the Bloomberg report and worries that Witkoff is too sympathetic to Russia, Trump brushed it off, saying, "No, but that's a standard thing, you know, because he's got to sell this to Ukraine. He's got to sell Ukraine to Russia. That's what he's, that's what a deal maker does." Trump went on to defend Witkoff's approach as normal negotiation tactics, emphasizing the need for both sides to give and take.

Trump sidestepped a direct answer to whether Witkoff was "too pro-Russia," instead highlighting the potential benefits of a deal for both countries, while subtly acknowledging Russia's military strength. "I think, look, this war could go on for years, and Russia's got a lot more people, a lot more soldiers," Trump said. "So I think if Ukraine can make a deal, it's a good thing. I think it's great for both. Frankly, I think it's great for both." His words were hardly a ringing endorsement, but they did underscore his desire for a resolution.

Meanwhile, Putin himself stated last week that the proposed framework "could also form the basis for a final peace settlement," seemingly linking it to discussions held with Trump back in August. A Ukrainian official told ABC News that the original draft had been revised from 28 to 19 points following talks in Geneva, with both American and Ukrainian representatives describing those discussions as productive. So, despite the leaked phone call and the accusations flying around, the negotiation train seems to be chugging along – albeit on a potentially bumpy track.