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The Playbook Podcast

Witkoff's revealing phone call

The Playbook Podcast

POLITICO

News, Daily News, Politics, Government

3.9 • 699 Ratings

🗓️ 26 November 2025

⏱️ 16 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A stunning transcript reportedly detailing Steve Witkoff’s private conversation with one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top aides reveals the approach that President Donald Trump’s administration is taking to end the war in Ukraine. The White House hasn’t denied the transcript’s validity, and the revelation comes as Trump’s plans to dispatch emissaries to meet with Putin next week. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and diplomatic correspondent Felicia Schwartz walk through the stakes. Plus, the FBI opens investigations into six Democratic members of Congress who Trump is accusing of sedition.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Extra value meals are back. That means 10 tender juicy McNuggets and medium fries and a drink are just $8.

0:08.4

Only at McDonald's. For limited time only. Prices and participation may vary. Prices may be higher in Hawaii, Alaska, and California, and for delivery.

0:20.3

Today on the Playbook podcast, President Trump says his top envoy will meet with Vladimir Putin next week to try to finalize a peace plan for Ukraine.

0:30.1

But back home, a leaked phone call reveals extraordinary details of how Steve Wickoff actually deals with the Russians when he doesn't think anyone's listening.

0:39.2

And the FBI opens investigations into six Democratic members of Congress who Trump is accusing

0:44.3

of sedition. Hello, I'm Jack Blanchard. And I'm Felicia Schwartz. It's Wednesday, November 26th.

0:52.2

Felicia's back with us. Thank you for coming back on again. How you doing? I'm good. I'm glad I didn't mess it up so much the first time that you've had me back again. No way. You were awesome. And given we're talking about war and peace once again, as we've been talking about it all week, frankly, you seem like a great person to come on again this morning with your diplomatic correspondence skills.

1:12.5

I was listening to President Trump on the plane down to Mara Lago last night, Felicia.

1:16.6

He's there today for the Thanksgiving holiday.

1:19.0

But he was talking about Ukraine on the way to the pool reporters there.

1:23.1

And it's pretty clear that this story is still moving very quickly.

1:27.2

He confirmed that Wickev and

1:29.2

potentially Jared Kushner as well, his son-in-law will be headed to Moscow next week to meet with

1:34.0

President Putin. That is going to be a very big moment, of course, in this story, right?

1:39.0

Oh, yeah. I know President Trump was asked about, I'm sure we'll get into these extraordinary

1:43.6

leaked call recordings.

1:44.9

They're very revealing of how Wikov deals with the Russians. But it is amazing to me that over and over

1:49.6

again, we see this. The Ukrainians have made very clear that they are willing to talk about this

1:54.7

document, even though they see it as a surrender. Seems like they're making as minimal changes

1:58.8

as possible. We don't know that the Russians have given anything. And then yet again, Steve Wikoff, maybe Jared Kushner, too, is going to go back to Moscow and meet with Putin. It's just kind of amazing that we've seen this pattern where Trump, in some sense, seems better at putting pressure on his allies and his partners than a place like Russia, which theoretically

2:18.9

is supposed to be an American competitor or foe even. Yeah, well, we shall see. We had this meeting

2:24.0

in Abu Dhabi yesterday between Dan Driscoll, the Army Secretary and a Russian delegation where the

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