Russia envoy says Russia, US, Ukraine near diplomatic breakthrough
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Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev said Russia, the US, and Ukraine are nearing a diplomatic solution to the war as new US sanctions and a postponed summit test ongoing peace efforts.
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Kirill Dmitriev, Special Presidential Envoy on Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation of Russia, looks on at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Tuesday, September 2, 2025. (AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, said Friday that Moscow, Washington, and Kiev are "quite close to a diplomatic solution" to the war in Ukraine, signaling cautious optimism even as the broader peace process faces new setbacks.
Speaking to CNN after arriving in Washington for talks with US officials, Dmitriev insisted that the planned summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin "had not been cancelled," contrary to the US president's statement earlier in the week. He said the meeting would "likely take place at a later date."
Budapest delay
Trump had announced that he was postponing the Budapest summit, citing Russia's rejection of an immediate ceasefire and the lack of a favorable environment for diplomacy. The announcement came just days after his contentious White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which AFP reported that Trump urged Zelensky to give up the Donbass region in exchange for peace, a proposal that provoked sharp backlash from European allies.
"I believe Russia and the US and Ukraine are actually quite close to a diplomatic solution," Dmitriev said, without detailing the terms under discussion. His remarks echoed growing speculation among European diplomats, who told Reuters that a new ceasefire proposal based on current battle lines was being developed in coordination with Kiev.
Dmitriev described this as a pragmatic shift from President Zelensky, noting, "It's a big move by President Zelensky to already acknowledge that it's about battle lines. You know, his previous position was that Russia should leave completely, so actually, I think we are reasonably close to a diplomatic solution that can be worked out."
Diplomacy amid sanctions
The envoy's visit coincides with fresh US sanctions targeting Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia's largest oil companies, a move that also prompted Putin to warn that the summit in Hungary may be delayed and that sanctions could raise global fuel prices. Dmitriev downplayed the measures, arguing they would "only lead to gasoline costing more at American gas stations." He added that continued dialogue "is certainly only possible if Russia's interests are taken into account and treated with respect."
European leaders, including France's Emmanuel Macron and Britain's Keir Starmer, have publicly rejected any peace deal involving territorial concessions, maintaining that "only Ukraine can decide its territorial future."
Meanwhile, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that a meeting between Trump and Putin "is not completely off the table," emphasizing Washington's openness to continued talks.
According to Axios, Dmitriev is also expected to meet Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff in Miami, while Russia's TASS agency reported that he would hold further undisclosed discussions.
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