Kirill Dmitriev. Photo: AP
Kirill Dmitriev, a senior Kremlin official and close to Vladimir Putin, will arrive in Washington this week for talks with Donald Trump’s chief negotiator, Steve Witkoff. This is the first visit of a Russian official of this level since 2022, indicating a warming of relations between the US and Russia, CNN reports.
Temporary lifting of sanctions for Dmitriev
The US authorities temporarily lifted sanctions against Dmitriev to allow him to obtain a visa and hold a meeting in the US.
Known for his proximity to Putin, Dmitriev played a key role in Moscow’s international negotiations, including in Riyadh, where he discussed a possible deal to end the war in Ukraine. He was also involved in the release from Russia of American lecturer Mark Vogel, which the Trump administration saw as a gesture of goodwill.
Tensions between Trump and Putin
Although Trump has previously called for an end to the war, his patience with the Kremlin is waning.
“I’m disappointed that Russia is just stalling,” he said in an interview with Newsmax.
At the same time, Putin, according to the sources, put forward conditions for ending the fighting, including the lifting of US sanctions. However, Washington rejected these demands, and Moscow refused American proposals to end the war.
