Russian President Vladimir Putin sent rival teams to Washington for talks with the Trump administration as ceasefire negotiations for the war in Ukraine are underway, according to an independent investigative Russian news outlet.
On Thursday, Kirill Dmitriev, a businessman and Putin’s investment envoy, announced that he is in Washington this week to hold talks with U.S. officials. The official, who runs Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, is meeting Trump ally Steve Witkoff at Putin’s request, he said.
Putin also gave the go-ahead for another rival team to engage in talks with Washington, news site Agentstvo reported on Thursday.
The two teams “actually do not get along well with each other and even clashed” during talks in Riyadh on February 18, the publication reported, citing a source familiar with the negotiations.
Newsweek has contacted Russia’s Foreign Ministry for comment by email.
Why It Matters
Dmitriev’s arrival in Washington marks the first official visit of a Russian official to the United States since Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
What To Know
According to Agentstvo, before a diplomatic meeting between Washington and Moscow in the Saudi capital on February 18, Putin informed Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov that the Russian delegation would include only two people: Lavrov himself and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov.
Later, Dmitriev privately met with the Russian president and asked if he could join the delegation—a request which Putin granted, without notifying his foreign minister.
Upon entering the negotiation room, Lavrov was reportedly surprised to find three chairs for the Russian delegation. He removed one chair when he was informed that one was for Dmitriev, saying: “If he wants to participate, let [Putin] tell me himself.”
Newsweek couldn’t independently verify Agentstvo’s claims. Neither the Kremlin nor the White House have outlined which Russian officials, if any, are in Washington this week for talks.
Dmitriev said on his Telegram channel that he was in Washington on April 2 and 3.
“I am holding meetings in Washington with representatives of the administration of President Donald Trump,” he said, without elaborating on what the talks would entail.
“The dialogue between Russia and the United States, which is of the utmost importance for the entire world, has been completely destroyed under the Biden administration,” he wrote.
“Today, numerous forces interested in maintaining tensions stand in the way of restoring constructive interaction in many countries around the world. These forces deliberately distort Russia’s position, trying to disrupt any steps toward dialogue, sparing neither means nor resources.”
“Yes, restoring dialogue is a difficult and gradual process. But each meeting, each frank conversation allows us to move forward,” Dmitriev added. “A real understanding of the Russian position opens up new opportunities for constructive interaction, including in the investment and economic sphere.”
Russia Hit by New US Sanctions, But Not Tariffs
Russia was unscathed by President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on U.S. imports imposed across the globe on what he branded “Liberation Day”—but U.S. Treasury Department announced new Russia-related sanctions.
Russia was excluded because U.S. sanctions already “preclude any meaningful trade,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Trump’s retaliatory tariffs on 180 countries serve a “major blow to the world economy.”
Sanctions Quietly Lifted on Putin Ally’s Wife
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the U.S. lifted sanctions on Karina Rotenberg, the wife of Russian billionaire and Putin ally Boris Rotenberg. She was sanctioned in March 2022, in response to Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, The Moscow Times reported.
What Happens Next
Dmitriev said he would “give brief comments on the results of the meetings” with the Trump administration.
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