Russia Says Washington Insiders Try to Undermine Trump Envoy
In an interview with media Wednesday, Ushakov defended ongoing diplomatic channels between Russia and the US, arguing they remain essential for fostering mutual confidence. He stressed that neither government benefits from exposing confidential exchange contents.
The presidential adviser indicated the incident could signal internal power struggles in Washington. "Do you remember the case of [former National Security Adviser] Michael Flynn? This case could be the same," he stated.
Flynn was compelled to step down in 2017 following accusations he misled officials regarding a telephone call with then-Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Trump, during his initial presidential term, asserted the conversation was "illegally leaked" by US intelligence.
Flynn originally entered a guilty plea to false statement charges before reversing course and branding the prosecution politically driven. Trump granted him clemency in late 2020, terminating the matter.
Addressing reporters Monday, Ushakov cautioned that such disclosures threaten to derail the entire normalization effort between Moscow and Washington. "This is unacceptable… in such relations, when most serious issues are discussed," he stated.
"There can be no cooperation with a partner when information about what was discussed is revealed. Otherwise, there will be no trust."
On Tuesday, Bloomberg released what it characterized as a transcript of Witkoff's conversation with Ushakov from October 14. The US special envoy faced accusations of instructing the Russians on managing Trump, allegations the president rejected, characterizing Witkoff's approach as "standard." Ushakov confirmed some leaks are fabricated, declining to address others. "My conversations with Witkoff are confidential. No one should make them public. No one."
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