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Ukraine ceasefire negotiations: Putin's key adviser expected to visit Washington this week
2025-04-02 19:49:31 / BOTA
Kirill Dmitriev, a senior Kremlin adviser and head of a large state-backed investment fund, is expected to visit Washington this week for talks with US officials about Ukraine and bilateral relations, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
News of Dmitriev's expected visit comes as Washington and Moscow are trying to repair relations that deteriorated before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Dmitriev, who heads the Russian Direct Investment Fund, has taken a more prominent role in negotiations with U.S. officials in recent months. He most recently met with White House envoy Steve Witkoff when he traveled to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed reports by Reuters and CNN that Dmitriyev's visit could take place this week.
"Yes, I confirm. This visit can take place. We are continuing to talk with the Americans. I will not give more details," Peskov said.
In a post on X, responding to another report on the visit, Dmitriev wrote “maybe.”
CNN and Reuters, citing unnamed officials, said Dmitriev would meet with Witkoff. Reuters reported that the meeting is expected to take place on Wednesday.
CNN reported that Dmitriev must obtain a special visa, as he is under US sanctions.
Both countries have promoted steps to improve relations, which began to deteriorate in 2012 during Barack Obama's presidency and then escalated significantly after the invasion of Ukraine.
Donald Trump has made ending the more than three-year-old war in Ukraine one of his top foreign policy priorities.
Unlike his predecessor, Joe Biden, who refused to talk to Moscow, the Trump administration has taken a different approach, holding at least two phone calls with Putin and sending top advisers, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to Saudi Arabia last month to kick off talks.
However, last week Trump sharply criticized Putin and threatened Russia with new tariffs on oil products if Moscow blocks his ceasefire initiatives.
During a phone interview with NBC News on March 30, Trump said he was "very angry" and "furious" when Putin called for the creation of a transitional government in Ukraine, which could oust the current president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Dmitriev participated in talks in Saudi Arabia, which focused not only on ending the war but also on restoring US-Russia relations.
Considered a close ally of Putin, he is seen as a key figure in negotiations to revive investment between the two countries. /REL
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