WhatsApp Faces Limits in Russia After Alleged Leak of Diplomatic Conversations

One of the reasons for introducing restrictions on WhatsApp in Russia was the “leak of diplomatic negotiations,” said Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy Anton Gorelkin.

Alleged leaks accelerate extreme measures

“According to my information, an additional but important trigger for accelerating extreme measures against WhatsApp was the recent leak of diplomatic conversations. The conclusion was drawn that the messenger’s owners not only turn a blind eye to its use for illegal purposes but actively participate themselves,” Gorelkin said.

He added that the company publicly did not respond to the statements by Roskomnadzor.

“However, when a full block of WhatsApp happens, I think some sort of salvational press release will appear in the spirit of ‘we do not understand what the Russian authorities want from us’—purely to justify themselves to users in other countries,” he noted.

Leaked transcripts spark controversy

Last week, Bloomberg published transcripts allegedly showing conversations between aides Ushakov and Dmitriev of President Putin, as well as between Ushakov and Trump’s special envoy Witkoff. Both discussions reportedly concerned peace negotiations.

Dmitriev called the publication fake. Ushakov stated that aside from closed-channel contacts, “when leaks almost never happen, there are some conversations via WhatsApp that someone, in some way, could apparently listen to.”