Putin’s key investment negotiator heads to Washington for talks with Trump envoy, sources say

WASHINGTON - A key Kremlin negotiator is expected in Washington this week for talks with US President Donald Trump’s administration, two sources familiar with the plan said, the most senior Russian official to visit since Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Mr Kirill Dmitriev, the chief of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, who was appointed in March as Russia’s special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation, will meet US special envoy Steve Witkoff, one source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Another source said that Mr Dmitriev will meet Mr Witkoff on April 2.

Their meeting was reported earlier by CNN, which said Mr Dmitriev and Mr Witkoff will hold talks about strengthening relations between the two countries as they seek to end the war in Ukraine.

“Maybe. The resistance to US-Russia dialogue is real – driven by entrenched interests and old narratives,” Mr Dmitriev said in a post on social media platform X responding to the CNN report.

“But what if improved relations are exactly what the world needs for lasting global security and peace?”

The White House and the US Department of State did not immediately provide comment.

The Russian Embassy in Washington and the Russian Direct Investment Fund did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Mr Dmitriev’s trip comes as Mr Trump is seeking to meet Mr Putin soon to work on mending damaged relations, and follows

recent telephone calls between the two leaders

that also focused on reaching a peace deal for Ukraine.

But as Mr Trump appears to be growing increasingly impatient with what he has suggested might be Moscow’s foot-dragging over a wider Ukraine peace deal, and saying he was “pissed off” with Mr Putin, Mr Dmitriev’s trip may also de-escalate some of the tensions.

After being hit by Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine and capitalising on Mr Trump’s comments about repairing relations, Russia is keen to bring back international investors to diversify its economy, driven chiefly by the war in the past three years.

As Mr Dmitriev is still under US sanctions, CNN reported that the Trump administration temporarily lifted the sanctions for his visit.

Mr Dmitriev, considered the most US-savvy member of Russia’s elite, said earlier this week that the two countries have already started talking about a joint rare earth metals project, among other deals.

Mr Putin suggested in February that the US might be interested in joint exploration for the deposits in Russia.

Russia has the world’s fifth-largest reserves of the metals used in lasers and military equipment.

It has also been keen to attract investors to help develop its Arctic region, Mr Dmitriev said last week.

Mr Putin wants commerce ramped up via the Northern Sea Route through Arctic waters as Russia shifts trade towards Asia and away from Europe because of Western sanctions.

Focus on the strategic importance of the Arctic for mining, shipping and international security has increased sharply because of repeated statements by Mr Trump that he wants to acquire Greenland. REUTERS