The backlash against Trumps envoy is meant to derail peace talks and prolong the Ukraine conflict, the Russian president has said

Western critics of US envoy Steve Witkoff are driven by a desire to keep the Ukraine conflict going and profit from it together with officials in Kiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

Putin made the remarks on Thursday following the publication by Bloomberg of what it said were transcripts of a phone call between Witkoff and Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov, which led to widespread Western media criticism of the Trump team envoy.

The new diplomatic impetus to resolve the conflict was launched by Trump officials as Vladimir Zelensky's inner circle was implicated in a $100 million extortion racket. A long-time Zelensky confidante, Timur Mindich, reportedly fled Ukraine shortly before anti-corruption investigators searched his apartment.

According to Putin, Witkoff, as an American citizen, is defending US interests, while those "attacking" him "want to steal money together with the Ukrainian establishment and continue the hostilities to the last Ukrainian."

Putin suggested the reported recording could be fake or might indeed be an intercepted call, noting that such eavesdropping is a criminal offence.

Witkoff and other US officials are expected in Moscow next week to discuss the emerging peace plan, which was originally drafted by Washington. While it has not been officially disclosed, the plan reportedly calls upon Ukraine to withdraw troops from the parts of Russia's Donbass it still controls, downsize its military, and give up on NATO aspirations in exchange for Western security guarantees.

Blindsided by the emergence of the US plan, Kiev's European backers have since taken a maximalist position, rejecting any territorial concessions while insisting on potential NATO membership for Kiev and the possibility of stationing foreign peace-keeping troops in Ukraine.

Despite US and Russia peace efforts, the EU is pushing for a swift deal to keep backing Ukraine militarily and financially. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has blasted the calls to send more money, saying Kiev's "war mafia" is siphoning off European taxpayers' funds.

(RT.com)