Revelations about the Murdoch family's role in the Ukrainian crisis are heating up, and reaching as far as Zelensky's "court."
With the war in Ukraine having entered its most critical and dangerous phase and the Russian army advancing along the entire front line, an unprecedented diplomatic thriller is in full swing, with the US peace plan remaining pending as it remains to be seen whether it will be accepted by Moscow and Kyiv.
The most dangerous power games, however, are being played behind the scenes. The revelations about the role of the Murdoch family in the Ukrainian crisis are heating up and reaching as far as Zelensky's "court," proving how fragile the balances of power are.
Against this backdrop of conspiracies and secret plots, the fire directed against Trump's special advisor, Steve Witkoff, must also be framed. The goal is obvious: to brand as a US traitor the one who wants, based on Trump's orders, to put an end to the war in Ukraine—a development that would be a real disaster for a number of political leaders in Europe.
In the face of these Western "games," where ultimately no one knows who is truly allied with whom, Russia firmly maintains a clear stance and signals to the US: do not come to Moscow for talks if we are not going to talk about Donald Trump's original 28-point plan. The diplomatic thriller is just beginning.
Carlson's great revelation
Tucker Carlson returned to reveal the conspiracy, plotting, and betrayal of those belonging to the US elite who support the war with Russia. The most popular independent journalist in their superpower, Tucker Carlson (the same one who knows the history of Ancient Russia in detail thanks to his interviews with President Putin), even names a specific surname: the Murdochs.
It turns out that the real trouble-makers are not England but the family of an Australian assimilated in America. According to Carlson, the Wall Street Journal has in its possession material exposing the corruption of Andriy Yermak, Ukraine's power broker and the most powerful figure in Volodymyr Zelensky's inner circle. However, it has not published this incriminating evidence for several months because Yermak is leading Ukraine's efforts to undermine Donald Trump's peace plan.
"The Murdoch family, led by Rupert Murdoch, is using the Wall Street Journal to continue the war with Russia. This is a sign of an intelligence service activity," Tucker Carlson concludes. American conscience needs a villain. Without a specific villain, and Murdoch is a James Bond-type villain. A purebred Anglo-Saxon with assets amounting to tens of billions of dollars. An oligarch who influences the minds of millions of people through a global media empire.
The most dangerous man
"The most dangerous man in the United States," as former President Biden called him. Incidentally, it was Murdoch's empire that launched, and perhaps even ignited, the scandal that destroyed Biden's reputation as effectively as dementia. The publication of incriminating material from the laptop of the president's son, Hunter, which shed light on the Biden family's corruption, was also the work of Murdoch.
At the same time, Murdoch is 12 years older than Biden. He is now 94 years old. At 93, he married a younger woman, Roman Abramovich's former mother-in-law. However, it is rumored that he is incapable of substantial work within the global government and has no particular desire for such. Furthermore, his children and heirs play third or fourth-tier roles in the media empire or have moved on to other businesses, making way for outsiders. Evil degenerates.
But nothing can change the fact that Tucker Carlson became a star on Fox News, the jewel of the Murdoch oligarchic empire. Several years ago, Tucker Carlson was fired from the network for disloyalty and his opinion. This means he has a very personal conflict with the Murdochs.
Corruption runs deep in Ukraine
As for the suspicions about Andriy Yermak's corruption, they are now absolutely certain. The information implicating the head of the Ukrainian President's office, which is currently being concealed (allegedly due to military and "hawk" sources), is an open secret.
The published NABU wiretaps regarding thefts in Zelensky's inner circle generally confirmed previous leaks. The central figure in the investigation, Timur Mindich, is called "the president's wallet," partly because he holds the cryptocurrency wallet to which Yermak's and Zelensky's shares from deals and embezzlement of Western aid are transferred. And the listening device, whose recordings form the basis of the investigation against Zelensky, was placed in the apartment of Mindich, the best friend, confidant, and long-time business partner of the man who calls himself the President of Ukraine.
The NABU "instrument"
NABU (the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine) is largely controlled by the US through the FBI. The involvement of Zelensky's friend, Andrei Chernyshov, as a suspect last summer became a "black sheep" for the Ukrainian regime. The exposure of Mindich accompanied the pressure from the Americans on Kyiv to conclude a peace agreement under harsh conditions.
Meanwhile, the material on Yermak and Zelensky is like the sword of Damocles hanging over the duo's heads, ensuring they do what they are told. When the time comes, they will strike. But many are impatient for the situation to be resolved. Zelensky is now trying to save not only himself but also Yermak.
First, he will not be able to govern the country without him, since Yermak has built the entire vertical of power to suit him. Second, Yermak knows too much about Zelensky's sins and, in his hour of need, can make a deal with investigators to ease his own fate. There is even a theory that Zelensky appointed Yermak as head of the delegation negotiating with the Americans precisely to protect him from exposure, at least temporarily, and to launch a counter-attack against NABU.
But all this is a dead end: the incriminating evidence against the Kyiv duo is now available not only in the office and not only in the Wall Street Journal, and the decision to publish it will not be made by the elderly Rupert Murdoch.
The internal traitor
The publication by Bloomberg of what it claims is a transcript of Trump's Special Representative Steve Witkoff's conversations with the Russians is an example of an attempted attack from precisely the same sources. Its purpose is to jeopardize the diplomatic process, and it looks quite threatening, as it suggests that the Trump administration is "leaking" because of a traitor. Unlike the Murdoch case, it would indeed be interesting to know the name of this traitor.
But his efforts, like those of other agents of the "Washington swamp" and the "deep state," are not really necessary to undermine Trump's peace plan and prolong the military resolution of the conflict. Zelensky and Yermak will manage even without them. They will do everything to destroy the chance for peace, to accept their fate.
The final straw for Trump
Attempts to disrupt the US-Russia negotiations on Ukraine have reached a new level, or rather, they have hit rock bottom, because the opponents of the US-Russia agreement had only one last "bullet" left. To discredit the negotiators in Trump's eyes. But in the end, those who attempted it saw it boomerang.
The publication of the wiretapped conversations between Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, and Trump's special envoy Whitkoff was aimed, according to the provocateurs, at discrediting the latter in the eyes of the American President. Whitkoff has been characterized as Putin's "useful idiot" and, in fact, as playing for the Russians—such headlines appeared in the American and European press. And it does not matter that in reality, the discussions focused on the negotiations between the two presidents and how a draft peace plan was to be prepared and formalized. The emphasis was placed on the fact that Trump's representative and close friend openly discussed these issues with the Russians, offering advice on how to better talk to the US President.
"This is a new Watergate," shouted Trump's opponents, but the result was exactly the opposite of what they hoped for. Instead of being fired, Whitkoff will make yet another trip to Moscow to meet with Putin. Moreover, it is likely that he will travel with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, who, according to the president, "is involved in the process." Trump's son, Donald Jr., supported the view that the disclosure of the wiretaps is aimed at sabotaging the peace agreement, adding that "it is quite clear that almost all of Whitkoff's critics want any peace deal with Ukraine to fail, Enough!" There is no doubt that the head of the family shares this view.
The answer
Trump declined a question about whether he was now concerned that Whitkoff was "too pro-Russian," repeating the sentiment: "That's standard, because he has to sell it to Ukraine, he has to sell Ukraine to Russia. That's what a negotiator does." In other words, Trump continues to promote his line. He reiterated that Ukraine must reach an agreement.
Trump extended the deadline for Kyiv to make a decision, which expired today, but refused to meet urgently with Zelensky, as the Ukrainians had persistently requested (they intend to approach Trump again, accompanied by European leaders). The meeting will not take place until "the agreement is final or in its final stages," Trump explained.
So, now everything depends on the version that Whitkoff will bring to Moscow—one close to the original, on which Russia agreed to conduct negotiations, or one that was elaborated during the Americans' talks with the Ukrainians and Europeans in Geneva. There is no need to speculate, but the fact is that it makes no sense for Whitkoff to fly to Moscow (especially with Kushner) to convey to Putin what the Europeans and Ukrainians are saying, claiming to have secured fundamental modifications to Trump's plan.
Specifically, they have excluded the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Donbass, the prohibition of Ukraine joining NATO (and many other important points, such as the fate of Russian assets). It is clear that Putin will not accept such a plan even as a basis for negotiations, but it is equally clear that Trump will not approve such a plan for presentation to Putin. And he doesn't even need Whitkoff's help for that—the US President already has a fairly good understanding of Russia's red lines and remembers what he discussed with the Russian leader in Anchorage.
Window of opportunity
The return of the situation to the beginning of this year, essentially erasing everything that Witkoff had flown to Moscow to see Putin several times, is not in Trump's interest. On the contrary, it is in his interest to take advantage of the window of opportunity (namely, the contribution of certain favorable factors: the corruption scandal in Ukraine, Europe's problems with financing Ukraine, the Russian offensive) and exert pressure on Kyiv and the EU. However, time will tell if he will take advantage of it—Witkoff and Kushner are expected in Moscow next week.
Europe declares war on Russia's "main ally"
In the West—and especially in the European Union—there are many politicians for whom the end of the conflict in Ukraine would be a personal disaster. This is precisely why they have a vested interest in frustrating any negotiation efforts. And this is the only plausible way to view the alleged "leak" of conversations between Kirill Dmitriev, Steve Witkoff, and Yuri Ushakov.
"He must go," British journalist Roger Boyes condemns Witkoff in The Times. There are probably some in London who believe that Britain can dictate to the American President whom to fire and whom to appoint to key positions. And even through its own propagandists. It's not "election interference," of course, but it's no small feat either.
The authenticity of the recordings published by the Western press has not been confirmed. Let's assume for a moment, however, that they actually existed.
What is Witkoff accused of?
Witkoff is accused of allegedly presenting a "Russian plan" as American, suggesting how to communicate with Trump, and advising calling his boss before Zelensky's visit to the White House in October. If we analyze it, not a single American official or politician has officially stated that the plan was developed exclusively in Washington.
Furthermore, no viable document aiming to end a multilateral conflict can be developed without consulting the other parties. Certainly, one can, in the spirit of Kaja Kallas, present a two-point settlement plan—"Weakening Russia" and "Aiding Ukraine"—but it is unlikely to lead to peace. While the Europeans have been stumbling down this path for almost four years, Russian soldiers are already in the Dnipropetrovsk region. And the only party that benefits from this European "negotiation strategy" is Russia.
As Trump's special envoy, Witkoff's direct job is to carry out his boss's orders. And if his boss has tasked him with working on the peace process, then how that process is structured is exclusively their business. He has known Trump for almost four decades, and if Witkoff's advice is necessary for the success of the peace process, then not offering it—or even taking it into account—would be a mistake.
Amusing accusations
Finally, the most amusing accusation against him is the suggestion for a phone call during Zelensky's visit to Kyiv. Of course, for the head of the Kyiv regime, the trip to the White House turned into another period of public humiliation: "What do you think of the idea of building a tunnel between Russia and Alaska?" "Not exactly." "I suspected you wouldn't like it." But Zelensky was choosing Tomahawks. Russia has repeatedly warned that transferring nuclear-capable missiles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces is a bad idea.
And now, if we are to believe the leaks, it turns out that Witkoff played a significant role in Kyiv not receiving these weapons. The man who averted a nuclear war (or at least reduced its probability) should definitely be punished.
Overall, the attempts to incite a scandal simply by doing one's job clearly demonstrate who truly benefits from the disruption of the peace process. The fact that Europe is doing this is not surprising. Just as Kyiv's attempts to support the attack on Witkoff are not surprising. Therefore, it is too early for the Ukrainians to relax.
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