Russian envoy Dmitriev discusses restoring ties with US in Washington
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Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, revealed that he met with Trump administration officials to discuss restoring US-Russia relations and reestablishing dialogue.
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Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, speaks with reporters as he leaves US-Russia talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18. (AFP)
Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and special envoy, said on Thursday that he had met with Trump administration officials over the last two days to explore measures to improve US-Russia relations.
Dmitriev told reporters that he has been meeting with key members of Trump's administration on behalf of the Russian president, emphasizing that the main focus of the discussions has been "the restoration of Russian-American relations and the re-establishment of dialogue, which was entirely halted during the Biden administration."
Dmitriev stated that there are several individuals and nations attempting to stymie this discourse, delay the restoration of Russian-American ties, and prevent the settlement of major issues that must be addressed.
Late last month, a Russian negotiator said Russia would continue its "useful" discussions with the United States regarding the Ukraine conflict, with plans to involve the United Nations and other nations in future talks.
"We talked about everything, it was an intense dialogue, not easy, but very useful for us and the Americans," Grigory Karasin, told the state TASS news agency, noting that "lots of problems were discussed."
"Of course we are far from solving everything, from being in agreement on all points, but it seems that this type of discussion is very timely," he pointed out.
"We will continue doing it, adding in the international community, above all the United Nations and certain countries," Karasin said.
He added, "In general, the impression was of a constructive dialogue, which is needed and necessary. The Americans are also interested in this."
His remarks followed 12 hours of negotiations between US and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia.
Karasin and Sergey Beseda, advisor to the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), represented Russia in the negotiations. The US delegation was led by Michael Anton, Director of the Policy Planning Staff at the State Department, and Andrew Peek, Senior Director at the White House National Security Council. Also part of the US team were aides to Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
