The lawmakers wrote about this on X."Actual traitor. Steve Witkoff is supposed to work for the United States, not Russia," stated Representative Ted Lieu.In turn, Congressman Dan Bacon stressed that Witkoff cannot be trusted to lead negotiations, calling for the special representative's dismissal."For those who oppose the Russian invasion and want to see Ukraine prevail as a sovereign & democratic country, it is clear that Witkoff fully favors the Russians. He cannot be trusted to lead these negotiations. Would a Russian paid agent do less than he?" Bacon wrote.American diplomat and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, called the disclosed conversation between Witkoff and Ushakov "shocking.""The job of all serving in national security jobs in the USG is to advance AMERICAN national interests, not the interests of other countries and especially not barbaric imperial warmongers like Putin," he emphasized.U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff advised a top Putin aide on how to approach Donald Trump with a Ukraine peace plan, suggesting they collaborate on a proposal modeled after the Gaza ceasefire deal.U.S. President Donald Trump commented on media reports about past conversations between his special representative, Steve Witkoff, and Putin's aide, Yuri Ushakov. He called them 'standard negotiation.'