Putin Defends U.S. Envoy Witkoff Amid Pro-Russia Bias Allegations

Russian President Vladimir Putin has defended U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff against accusations of pro-Kremlin bias, following the leak of a phone call between Witkoff and a Kremlin aide.

The controversy arose after Bloomberg News published a transcript of an October 14 conversation between Witkoff and Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy aide. In the call, Witkoff reportedly advised Ushakov on how to present a Ukraine peace plan to President Donald Trump.

Critics seized on the transcript to accuse Witkoff of favoring Russian interests. In response, Putin stated that Witkoff is "an intelligent man" who is properly representing his country's position.

The leaked call has intensified scrutiny of Witkoff's role in the peace negotiations, with some U.S. officials expressing concern over his perceived alignment with Moscow.

Despite the controversy, Witkoff is scheduled to return to Moscow next week to continue discussions on President Trump's peace proposal.