--- title: "White House calls 'fake' rumors of handing Ukraine negotiations to CIA director" description: "White House spokesperson Anna Kelly called the Financial Times report on a change in the U.S. negotiating team on Ukraine 'fake' and stated that no authority is being transferred to the CIA director." date: 2026-09-09T17:34:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/white-house-denies-rumors-of-change-in-ukraine-negotiating-team tags: [white-house, ukraine-negotiations, steve-witkoff, jared-kushner, cia, financial-times] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # White House calls 'fake' rumors of handing Ukraine negotiations to CIA director ![US administration official wearing a translation headset in an official setting, illustrating the White House's denial of rumors about handing Ukraine talks over to the CIA director](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/09/belyy-dom-oproverzhal-sluhi-o-smene-peregovor-noy-komandy-po-ukraine/belyy-dom-oproverzhal-sluhi-o-smene-peregovor-noy-komandy-po-ukraine-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The White House called the FT publication on transferring the role in Ukraine negotiations to the CIA director "absolutely fake news." - Spokesperson Anna Kelly stated that Trump fully trusts Witkoff and Kushner and that no discussions about changing the team are underway. - The sides also diverged on the details: the FT claimed the White House gave no comment, while Kelly explained this by saying the outlet published ahead of the agreed deadline. Washington reacted sharply to a Financial Times report on an alleged upcoming change in the U.S. negotiating team on Ukraine. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly called the piece "absolutely fake news" and emphasized that no discussions are underway to transfer the relevant authority to the CIA director. The statement came against the backdrop of the outlet's attempt to portray the diplomatic track on Ukraine and Russia as having effectively hit a dead end and requiring a new push. ### Denial from the White House According to RBC-Ukraine, Anna Kelly stated that President Donald Trump "fully trusts" Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to conduct the negotiation process on behalf of the United States. "This entire story is absolutely fake news, attributed to low-level anonymous 'sources' who have no idea what they are talking about. None of these so-called conversations is taking place. Special envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner continue to work incredibly persistently toward reaching a peace agreement," she said. In doing so, the administration publicly confirmed that the composition and mandate of the negotiators have not changed. ### What the Financial Times reported Earlier, the Financial Times reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe could take on a more prominent role in U.S. negotiations with Ukraine and Russia. According to the FT, Washington is seeking to give a new impetus to a diplomatic process that, by sources' assessment, has long remained effectively stuck. At the same time, per the publication, Witkoff would most likely retain his post as U.S. special representative for peace missions, which also covers negotiations in the Middle East. In other words, by the outlet's account, the issue was not a dismissal but a redistribution of roles within the team. ### Contradictory data The two sides' accounts diverge on the substance. The Financial Times, citing sources, claims a planned strengthening of the CIA director's role and a reduction in Witkoff's and Kushner's involvement. The White House categorically denies the very fact of such discussions, calling the piece a product of "low-level anonymous sources." An additional contradiction concerns the comment procedure: the FT and some observers noted that the administration allegedly refused to provide a comment, whereas Kelly stated that the outlet published the piece ahead of the agreed deadline, which is why the White House simply did not have time to provide an official position. The spokesperson also accused the FT of "descending to the level of a left-wing tabloid" with no interest in accurate information. ### Context of the negotiating track Amid the public dispute over the publication, one fact remains unchanged: formally, according to the White House, the U.S. negotiating team on Ukraine has not changed, and Witkoff and Kushner continue their work on a peace agreement. The actual state of the diplomatic track, and whether it is truly stuck, as the FT's sources claim, or actively moving forward, as Washington asserts, remains a matter of debate. Only the dynamics of the negotiations themselves in the coming weeks may put a final point to this question. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [White House reacts sharply to rumors of Witkoff's 'demotion' in Ukraine negotiations](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/biliy-dim-zhorstko-vidreaguvav-chutki-ponizhennya-1788974675.html) - Π˜ΡΡ‚ΠΎΡ‡Π½ΠΈΠΊ ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ заявлСниС спикСра Π‘Π΅Π»ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ Π΄ΠΎΠΌΠ° Анны КСлли ΠΎΠ± ΠΎΠΏΡ€ΠΎΠ²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠΈ ΠΏΡƒΠ±Π»ΠΈΠΊΠ°Ρ†ΠΈΠΈ FT ΠΈ ΠΎ сохранСнии Π£ΠΈΡ‚ΠΊΠΎΡ„Ρ„Π° ΠΈ ΠšΡƒΡˆΠ½Π΅Ρ€Π° Π² ΠΏΠ΅Ρ€Π΅Π³ΠΎΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π½ΠΎΠΉ ΠΊΠΎΠΌΠ°Π½Π΄Π΅. Π‘ΠΎΠ΄Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ°Π½ΠΈΠ΅ самой ΡΡ‚Π°Ρ‚ΡŒΠΈ FT (усилСниС Ρ€ΠΎΠ»ΠΈ Π΄ΠΈΡ€Π΅ΠΊΡ‚ΠΎΡ€Π° Π¦Π Π£ Рэтклиффа, риск сокращСния Ρ€ΠΎΠ»ΠΈ Π£ΠΈΡ‚ΠΊΠΎΡ„Ρ„Π°/ΠšΡƒΡˆΠ½Π΅Ρ€Π°, Ρ‚ΡƒΠΏΠΈΠΊ Π² Π΄ΠΈΠΏΠ»ΠΎΠΌΠ°Ρ‚ΠΈΠΈ) прСдставлСно ΠΊΠ°ΠΊ вСрсия издания ΠΈ Π½Π΅ ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΎ нСзависимыми источниками; ΠΏΠΎ ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡ†Π΅Π΄ΡƒΡ€Π΅ коммСнтария стороны Π΄Π°ΡŽΡ‚ ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π΅Ρ‡Π°Ρ‰ΠΈΠ΅ Π΄Ρ€ΡƒΠ³ Π΄Ρ€ΡƒΠ³Ρƒ вСрсии. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Is the U.S. negotiating team on Ukraine being changed? **A:** According to White House spokesperson Anna Kelly, no: no discussions are underway to transfer authority to the CIA director, and Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner continue their work on a peace agreement. The Financial Times, by contrast, reported on a possible strengthening of the role of CIA Director John Ratcliffe. ### Q: Why did the White House not provide a comment to the Financial Times? **A:** The FT and some observers pointed to the administration's refusal to comment. Anna Kelly denied this, stating that the outlet published the piece ahead of the agreed deadline, which is why the White House did not have time to provide an official position. ### Q: Will Witkoff retain his post? **A:** According to the Financial Times publication, Witkoff would most likely retain his position as U.S. special representative for peace missions, which also covers negotiations in the Middle East. The White House confirmed that he continues to lead the negotiation process.