Russia’s top economic envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, arrived in Washington this week for high-level meetings with officials from President Donald Trump’s administration, marking the most significant visit by a Russian official to the U.S. since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The visit signals an intensifying diplomatic effort by the Trump administration to broker a ceasefire in the prolonged Ukraine conflict.
Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and a former Stanford University graduate, confirmed Thursday that he was meeting U.S. representatives but did not disclose specifics. According to American media, Dmitriev was expected to hold talks with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House. The Biden-era sanctions against Dmitriev were reportedly suspended temporarily to allow his visit.
Dmitriev criticized the Biden administration for severing communication lines between Washington and Moscow, stating on Telegram that dialogue was “completely destroyed” under President Biden. “Restoring dialogue is not an easy process, and it’s gradual,” he said. “But every meeting, every frank conversation allows us to move forward.”
The diplomatic push follows President Trump’s growing frustration with stalled peace negotiations. Trump expressed anger last week after Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed a U.S.-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional ceasefire and demanded that sanctions be lifted as part of a Black Sea truce deal.
Despite his public rebuke of Putin’s recent suggestion to oust Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump maintains that he has a “very good relationship” with the Russian leader and remains optimistic about a resolution. “The anger dissipates quickly… if he does the right thing,” Trump told NBC News.
Russia is seeking major sanctions relief as part of any peace deal, particularly those affecting its agricultural finance sector. Dmitriev has been a central figure in recent backchannel diplomacy, having participated in the initial February talks in Saudi Arabia. His counterpart, Steve Witkoff, recently met with Putin in Moscow, underscoring the seriousness of the negotiations.
While neither the White House nor the Kremlin has released official agendas, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed progress is slow but ongoing. “Step by step, slowly, we are beginning to move, I hope, towards normality,” Ryabkov stated Thursday.
China’s foreign ministry also welcomed the renewed dialogue, calling it a source of optimism for global stability.
