Putin's envoy to visit Washington for talks on Ukraine
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Kirill Dmitriev (right) with Vladimir Putin. Photo: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin's close adviser Kirill Dmitriev is expected to visit Washington this week for talks on Ukraine with President Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, two U.S. officials tell Axios. He'll be the most senior Russian visitor to Washington since the 2022 invasion.
Why it matters: Trump said Saturday that he was "pissed off" at Putin for his recent comments on Ukraine and warned of economic penalties if Russia blocks his ceasefire push. The visit from Dmitriev is a chance to break the stalemate in negotiations.
- Dmitriev is the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund and a senior member of Putin's negotiating team in the indirect ceasefire talks with Ukraine, which the Trump administration is mediating.
What they're saying: "His visit is part of ongoing efforts to get a ceasefire with Ukraine," a U.S. official said.
- CNN first reported on Dmitriev's visit.
Behind The scenes: Dmitriev is under U.S. sanctions, which the Treasury Department had to suspend for seven days to allow the State Department to issue him a visa, according to a source with knowledge of the issue.
State of play: The indirect talks between Russia and Ukraine are stuck, U.S. officials say.
- While Ukraine agreed to all U.S. proposals for an unconditional ceasefire and subsequently agreed to plans for a smaller-scale maritime ceasefire, the Russians laid out last week a series of new demands, including the lifting of some U.S. sanctions.
- The Russians made the new demands after three days of talks in Saudi Arabia — and after the White House had issued a statement saying Russia agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea.
- Russia's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said on Tuesday that while Russia takes the U.S. ceasefire proposals seriously, they do not address the "root causes" of the conflict.
- National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said Tuesday that Trump is frustrated with the Russian position but that talks continue.
