00:00A leaked recording has ignited wide political controversy.
00:05A voice attributed to U.S. Envoy Steve Whitcoff appeared giving guidance to a senior advisor close to Putin
00:12on how to address President Trump to secure his support on the Ukraine war, saying,
00:18Show him respect as a man of peace. The call will be excellent.
00:23The leak surfaced at a sensitive moment after the release of a 28-point U.S. peace plan
00:30accused of favoring Moscow because it would allow Russia to retain parts of eastern Ukraine.
00:36The controversy deepened further after Pentagon official Dan Driscoll, known as the drone guy,
00:44arrived in Kiev unexpectedly, while Whitcoff, who is responsible for the file,
00:49did not visit the Ukrainian capital. Trump defended his envoy,
00:54insisting that what happened was merely a normal part of negotiation, not favoritism.
01:00I haven't heard it, no, but that's a standard thing, you know, because he's going to sell this
01:04to Ukraine, he's going to sell Ukraine to Russia, that's what a dealmaker does. You've got to say,
01:10look, they want this, you've got to convince them of this. You know, that's a very standard form of negotiation.
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