Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) sounded the alarm Sunday regarding a leaked conversation involving U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and a high-ranking Russian official. Speaking on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Turner cautioned that the White House needs to be careful about the optics of appearing to prioritize Moscow over Kyiv during ongoing peace negotiations.
The controversy centers on a call between Witkoff and Russian aide Yuri Ushakov. While critics have scrutinized the discussion as potentially favoring Russian interests, Turner specifically focused on the sequencing of the diplomacy.
“I think the White House should be very concerned about any efforts to orchestrate [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s voice at the White House before Zelenskyy’s,” Turner told host Nancy Cordes.
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He emphasized that Ukraine’s sovereignty and security must remain “preeminent,” noting that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had stressed the same point earlier that morning.
President Trump, however, brushed off criticism of the leak earlier in the week. Defending Witkoff on Tuesday, Trump argued that balancing both sides is a necessary component of the negotiation process.
“That’s a standard thing. He’s got to sell this to Ukraine, he’s got to sell Ukraine to Russia,” Trump told reporters. “That’s what a dealmaker does.”
The administration remains focused on ending the war, with President Trump having recently hosted separate meetings with both Zelenskyy and Putin on U.S. soil in an effort to broker a deal.
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