US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and a Russian negotiator held talks on Wednesday and Thursday in Washington, D.C., just days following President Donald Trump expressing his disappointment with Vladimir Putin regarding the slow progress towards achieving a ceasefire in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
The U.S. is currently awaiting Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian delegate, to provide feedback to President Putin prior to both parties proceeding with further actions, as stated by someone privy to the discussions.
Steve has been very concentrated on finding solutions," Dmitriev stated during an interview with CNN on Thursday following the discussions. "I believe there’s clarity now on how we can proceed to conclude the accord, and many talks have centered around this topic.
U.S. authorities have grown more irritated with Russia's delaying tactics in talks. A potential advance seemed to occur earlier this week regarding a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea, but it vanished when Russian representatives stated that such an arrangement hinged upon easing economic restrictions. This condition clashed with what had been detailed in a U.S. announcement about the terms for the accord.
Russia and Ukraine have likewise traded allegations of not adhering to the conditions of a 30-day ceasefire aimed at stopping attacks on one another’s energy facilities.
Last weekend, Trump informed NBC News that he was "extremely annoyed" with Putin and warned about imposing additional tariffs on those purchasing Russian oil. This move would occur should the Kremlin chief not agree to a cease-fire with Ukraine, marking an unusual public rebuke from the U.S. president towards Moscow.
"There are certainly differing viewpoints on several matters, however, there is a procedure and dialogue underway," Dmitriev stated to Russian journalists following the discussions, as seen in a clip shared on his Telegram page. According to him, representatives from the Trump administration "express readiness to address geostrategic concerns" and actively consider Russia's stance on numerous topics.
US and Russian authorities are talking about reinstating direct air services between their nations, and numerous American firms have shown significant enthusiasm for re-entering the Russian marketplace, stepping into the void left behind by departing European enterprises, according to Dmitriev. Additionally, he mentioned that both parties are exploring potential collaboration regarding rare-earth elements.
Dmitriev, who is 49 years old, leads Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and has been instrumental in negotiations between the US and Russia. His visit to Washington D.C. underscores the possibility for increased commercial collaboration between the nations, potentially extending into ventures like those in the Arctic region and involving liquefied natural gas initiatives.
The US Treasury sanctioned Dmitriev was referred to as "a well-known ally of Putin" shortly after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This individual, who previously worked as an investment banker for Goldman Sachs Group Inc., received his education at Stanford and Harvard Universities. He is married to a friend of one of Putin’s daughters.
The Treasury temporarily lifted sanctions on Dmitriev for seven days to enable his visit, according to a report by the New York Times, which cited an unidentified U.S. official.
--Assisted by Annmarie Hordern.
(Updated with Dmitriev’s comment in the seventh paragraph, additional details included)
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