Russia Condemns Leak of Witkoff Call as Hybrid Warfare

Post by : Saif Nasser

Russia has strongly criticised the leak of a private phone call between top advisers of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it an “unacceptable” act that threatens ongoing peace discussions on the Ukraine conflict. The leaked transcript, published by Bloomberg News, has sparked tension and raised questions about who is behind the breach.

The recording published by Bloomberg came from a call held on October 14 between Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy, and Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s key foreign policy adviser. In the conversation, Witkoff reportedly gave suggestions on how the Russian side could present a peace plan for Ukraine to President Trump. Bloomberg said it reviewed the recording but did not explain how such sensitive material was obtained.

Ushakov reacted sharply, saying the call was never meant to be public. He told Russian media that releasing the recording was clearly intended to interfere with U.S.-Russia talks on ending the war in Ukraine. “This is unacceptable,” he said, adding that the leak was an attempt to damage diplomatic efforts.

He also revealed that some of his exchanges with Witkoff were conducted through secure government channels, which are rarely intercepted unless someone involved in the process intends for it to be released. However, Ushakov insisted that none of the people in the call were responsible for the leak. He said he would speak directly with Witkoff about the issue.
Ushakov further noted that conversations on apps like WhatsApp are easier to intercept, hinting that the breach may have targeted less secure communication methods.

Another leaked transcript published by Bloomberg included an October 29 call between Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and a senior envoy for Putin. Dmitriev called Bloomberg’s reporting “fake” and denied that the recorded conversation was real.

The controversy deepened when Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said certain media outlets were being used by European governments as part of a broader “hybrid information war” against Russia. He claimed the goal was to weaken Moscow’s relations with Washington and disrupt discussions on Ukraine.

Bloomberg has not commented on Russia’s accusations or explained how it obtained access to recordings involving high-level officials from two major global powers. Such leaks are rare and often involve complex surveillance or intentional insider actions.

The situation has now raised wider concerns about the security of international diplomatic communications. It has also added fresh strain to already delicate peace negotiations over Ukraine, where both Russia and the United States have been trying to find a path forward after years of conflict.

For now, Moscow’s message is clear: it believes the leak is not just a privacy breach but a strategic attack meant to damage trust, create confusion, and disrupt global diplomacy.