WASHINGTON: Russia’s top economic negotiator, Kirill Dmitriev, arrived in Washington this week for high-level talks to improve relations between Russia and the United States.
Dmitriev, who heads Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), confirmed his visit on April 2, marking the highest-level Kremlin visit to the US since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.
Dmitriev is no stranger to US-Russian diplomacy. He played a key role in backchannel diplomacy between Moscow and Washington during President Donald Trump’s first term.
During his stay, Dmitriev held meetings with senior US officials, including Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East.
Although the details of these talks remain private, Dmitriev emphasised the importance of rebuilding the dialogue between the two nations, which he described as “crucial for the entire world.”
Writing on his Telegram channel, Dmitriev stated, “The dialogue between Russia and the United States was completely destroyed under the Biden administration. Restoring dialogue is not an easy process, and it’s gradual. But every meeting, every frank conversation allows us to move forward.”
The visit follows President Trump’s growing frustration with the lack of progress in ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
Trump has openly expressed his displeasure with Russian President Vladimir Putin, particularly after Putin’s recent suggestion to remove Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from power as part of a peace settlement.
The timing of Dmitriev’s visit is significant, as the Trump administration has hinted at new economic measures, including the possibility of secondary oil tariffs on Russia.
Trump announced a 10% tariff on nearly all imports into the US on April 2, but Russia and Belarus were excluded from this list, with the White House citing the absence of meaningful trade with these nations due to existing sanctions.
Dmitriev, who has been personally sanctioned by the US, was granted a special short-term license to travel, a necessary step given the restrictions on his movements.
Dmitriev’s trip is seen as part of a broader effort to repair US-Russian relations, which have deteriorated since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.
This visit is the highest-profile diplomatic mission from Moscow to Washington in recent years, underscoring the Kremlin’s desire to engage with the US, especially as it seeks the removal of sanctions imposed on its economy.
Dmitriev also suggested that opponents of rapprochement fear that the two countries may find common ground and deepen their cooperation in areas such as international diplomacy and economic trade.
Senior Russian diplomat Sergei Ryabkov, commenting on the ongoing dialogue, said that while progress had been slow, there were signs of gradual movement toward normalising relations.
“Step by step, slowly, we are beginning to move, I hope, towards normality,” Ryabkov said in a recent interview with Russia’s International Life magazine.
