(LONDON and KYIV, Ukraine) — The Kremlin’s top foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, confirmed there is a “preliminary agreement” for U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff — and likely Jared Kushner — to visit Moscow next week, as the White House claims momentum toward a possible Ukraine-Russia peace plan.

“As for Witkoff, I can say that a preliminary agreement has been reached that he will visit Moscow next week,” Ushakov said in an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin for the program “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin,” broadcast on Wednesday.

“We have agreed to meet with Mr. Witkoff. I hope he will not come alone, but will be accompanied by other representatives of the American team who are working on the Ukrainian dossier, and then we will begin discussions,” Ushakov added.

Witkoff, Ushakov said, will “definitely” meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin if he comes to Moscow next week.

The interview came after Bloomberg published excerpts of a recording of purported phone call between Witkoff and Ushakov, in which Trump’s envoy appeared to offer guidance on how Putin should present the Kremlin’s plan to end the war to Trump.

Ushakov appeared to confirm the call happened but declined to comment. Ushakov also alleged that the leak was intended to undermine the ongoing peace efforts.

“I speak with Witkoff quite often, but I do not comment on the substance of our conversations because they are confidential. No one should comment on them, actually,” he said.

The reported leak was “probably” intended to “hinder” discussions, Ushakov said. “It is unlikely that this is being done to improve relations. They are now being established, with difficulty, through contacts of this kind, including by telephone.”

Ushakov denied that Russia leaked the call. “Someone is leaking them, someone is listening in, but it’s not us,” he said.

Trump had already told reporters on Tuesday that his envoy would travel to Russia. “Now, Steve Witkoff is going over maybe with Jared. I’m not sure about Jared going, but he’s involved in the process, smart guy, and they’re going to be meeting with President Putin, I believe, next week in Moscow,” he said.

Pressed on the Bloomberg report and concerns that Witkoff was too sympathetic to Russia’s maximalist war goals, Trump replied, “No, but that’s a standard thing, you know, because he’s got to sell this to Ukraine. He’s got to sell Ukraine to Russia. That’s what he’s, that’s what a deal maker does.”

“You got to say, look, they want this. You’ve got to convince him with this. You know, that’s a very standard form of negotiation. I haven’t heard it, but I heard it was standard negotiation, and I would imagine he’s saying the same thing to Ukraine, because each party has to give and take,” Trump added.

Asked whether Witkoff was “too pro-Russia,” Trump did not answer directly. He instead said that a deal would be beneficial for both sides, while appearing to talk up Russia’s military capabilities.

“I think, look, this war could go on for years, and Russia’s got a lot more people, a lot more soldiers,” Trump said. “So I think if Ukraine can make a deal, it’s a good thing. I think it’s great for both. Frankly, I think it’s great for both.”

Weekend talks in Geneva, Switzerland, saw American, European and Ukrainian officials meet to discuss the controversial U.S.-backed peace plan proposal put to Kyiv last week, with terms critics say would have constituted a Ukrainian capitulation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week the blueprint “could also form the basis for a final peace settlement,” and suggested it aligned closely with the outcomes of his meeting with Trump in Alaska in August.

On Monday, a Ukrainian official close to the matter told ABC News that the original 28-point draft had been revised down to 19 points after the Geneva talks, with both American and Ukrainian representatives framing the Geneva talks as productive.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that the Geneva talks produced a “framework,” adding Kyiv is “ready to move forward together — with the United States of America, with personal engagement of President Trump, and with Europe.”

“I am ready to meet with President Trump,” Zelenskyy continued. “There are sensitive points to discuss,” he said.

After the Geneva meetings, a U.S. delegation held additional talks with Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. A U.S. official told ABC News on Tuesday, “The Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal … There are some minor details to be sorted out but they have agreed to a peace deal.”

A source familiar with the discussions confirmed to ABC News that Ukraine agreed to the new 19-point peace plan during the talks in Geneva, not in Abu Dhabi.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump did not elaborate on which issues are still to be agreed with Kyiv. “Standard things,” Trump said when asked. “But people are starting to realize it’s a good deal for both parties if they got to stop the war, they’re losing a lot of people, a lot of soldiers, mostly soldiers.”

Pressed about Ukraine ceding land to Russia, Trump hinted at land swaps and called the overall process “complicated” and said it “doesn’t go that quickly.”

Trump also did not say what concessions Moscow is being asked to make. “They’re making concessions. They’re big concessions. You say stop fighting, and they don’t take any more land again,” the president said.

As to future security guarantees for Ukraine, Trump said the issue is being discussed with European countries. “Europe will be largely involved in that,” he said. “We’re working that out with Europe. Europe really wants to see it end, if possible.”

Moscow is yet to officially comment on the new 19-point plan. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned on Tuesday that “if the spirit and letter of Anchorage are removed in terms of the key understandings that we have established, then, of course, it will be a fundamentally different situation.”

In his interview with Zarubin broadcast on Wednesday, Ushakov said the new plan was “passed on to us,” as quoted by Russia’s state-run Tass news agency. But the Kremlin aide added that the plan “hasn’t been discussed in detail with anyone yet.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, meanwhile, told reporters on Wednesday it is “too early to say” that the warring parties may be nearing a deal, according to Tass.

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