Trump defends Witkoff after leak appears to show envoy coaching Russia

US President Donald Trump has defended special envoy Steve Witkoff as doing the "standard thing" after a leaked recording appeared to show him advising a Russian official on how to appeal to the president.

Trump told reporters on Wednesday he had not heard the audio, but that Witkoff was doing "what a dealmaker does" to "sell" the peace plan to both Russia and Ukraine.

The leaked call from last month emerged days after a 28-point draft peace plan presented by the US largely reflected Russian positions on its full-scale war in Ukraine.

Witkoff has visited Moscow several times this year and will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin again next week.

He has never gone to Kyiv in his role as special envoy, although other US officials have visited and US army secretary Dan Driscoll went to Kyiv this week and Trump says he will hold further talks with the Ukrainians.

Diplomatic talks have continued after the initial draft plan was criticised by Ukrainian and European leaders as being too favourable to Russia. Among the proposals was a handover to Russia of Ukrainian-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine.

The plan has since been revised to better reflect Ukraine's interests and the views of European allies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to meet Trump to discuss outstanding "sensitive points".