US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, following the success of the Gaza peace agreement, reportedly contacted a senior Kremlin official last month to propose cooperation on a comparable peace framework for Ukraine and recommended that Vladimir Putin present the idea to Donald Trump.

During a brief phone conversation on 14 October, Witkoff suggested Yuri Ushakov, a top foreign policy adviser to Putin, on how the Russian President might introduce the matter to Trump.

He proposed arranging a Trump-Putin call ahead of Volodymyr Zelensky’s scheduled White House visit and suggested using the Gaza agreement as an entry point for the discussion.

“We put a 20-point Trump plan together that was 20 points for peace and I’m thinking maybe we do the same thing with you,” Witkoff told Ushakov, according to a Bloomberg-reviewed recording.

The exchange provides the first direct look at Witkoff’s recent approach to engaging with Russia and appears to mark the early development of the 28-point peace plan unveiled earlier this month, which the US has urged Ukraine to consider as a negotiation baseline.

Putin stated this month that he viewed the US proposal as a potential foundation for a peace agreement.

He informed senior officials during a Russian Security Council meeting that the 28-point plan had not been thoroughly discussed with the US, although Moscow had received the document.

When Witkoff and Ushakov spoke, Trump was celebrating the success of his efforts to conclude the Gaza conflict.

A day earlier, he had addressed the Israeli Knesset—the first US president to do so since 2008—after overseeing the release of the last 20 living hostages held by Hamas.

Trump’s stance toward Putin, however, appeared to be shifting negatively.

Ahead of his 17 October meeting with Zelenskiy, Trump weighed offering Ukraine longer-range Tomahawk missiles, deliberated new sanctions on Russia and expressed frustration with Putin.

On 14 October—the day of the Witkoff-Ushakov call—Trump remarked, “I don’t know why he continues with this war.”

“He just doesn’t want to end that war. And I think it’s making him look very bad,” Trump added.

During the conversation with Ushakov, Witkoff conveyed respect for Putin and said he had assured Trump that, in his view, Russia had consistently sought a peace agreement.

He referenced Zelenskiy’s forthcoming visit and suggested that Putin contact Trump before that engagement.

“Zelenskiy is coming to the White House on Friday,” Witkoff said.

“I will go to that because they want me there, but I think if possible we have the call with your boss before that Friday meeting,” he added. Ushakov inquired whether a Putin-Trump call would be “useful.”

Witkoff replied that it would. He further advised that Putin congratulate Trump on the Gaza peace deal, express Russia’s support and emphasise his respect for Trump as a leader focused on peace. Witkoff said, “From that, it’s going to be a really good call.”

Witkoff then added, “Here’s what I think would be amazing. Maybe he says to President Trump: you know, Steve and Yuri discussed a very similar 20-point plan to peace and that could be something that we think might move the needle a little bit, we’re open to those sorts of things.” Ushakov seemed receptive to parts of the suggestion.

He said Putin “will congratulate” Trump and state that “Mr Trump is a real peace man.” Two days later, Trump and Putin held the call at Russia’s request, and Trump described the two-and-a-half-hour discussion as “very productive.”

After the call, Trump said he planned to meet Putin in Budapest—an event that has not yet occurred—and noted that Putin congratulated him on the Gaza agreement.

According to an Axios interview, Witkoff later met Kremlin adviser Kirill Dmitriev in Miami.

Dmitriev told Axios he was in Miami for three days starting 24 October.

Another Bloomberg-reviewed recording shows Dmitriev and Ushakov discussing on 29 October how forcefully Moscow should present its demands in a peace proposal.

During their deliberations, Ushakov urged seeking “the maximum” in their proposals to the White House.

He warned that the US could misread elements, remove sections and claim agreement, creating a risk of halting the negotiations.

Dmitriev, who leads the Russian Direct Investment Fund, recommended circulating a paper informally and expressed confidence that the US would adopt something close to Russia’s framework even if not fully.

He later told Ushakov he would follow all instructions and noted that Ushakov could discuss the proposal further with “Steve.”

Since then, Ukraine has faced significant pressure to accept the peace proposal that Witkoff helped develop with Kremlin advisers.

US officials warned that intelligence support to Ukraine could be halted if Zelenskiy rejected the plan, though Kyiv later secured concessions and convinced the US to slow the process after discussions with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

According to the initial US proposal, Ukraine would be required to withdraw forces from parts of eastern Donbas that Russia has not taken militarily.

That territory would be converted into a neutral demilitarized buffer zone internationally recognized as Russian.

Moscow would also gain de facto recognition of its claims over Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk.

Large portions of the remaining frontline, including Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, would remain essentially unchanged.

Ukraine and its European partners have maintained that any ceasefire must reflect present territorial lines.

These terms align with conditions Witkoff and Ushakov appeared to reference in their call last month.