U.S.-Russia negotiations set for this week, says Dmitriev
The United States and Russia are scheduled to hold another round of negotiations this week, said Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president’s special economic envoy, in an interview on Russian state television following his return from Washington.
Dmitriev, the highest-ranking Russian official to visit the U.S. since the start of the war in Ukraine, noted that there are signs of improved momentum in the U.S.-Russia relations, according to The Kyiv Independent.
He also stated that former President Trump’s circle is under heavy pressure from groups hostile to Russia, who are reportedly using disinformation tactics.
Dmitriev spoke of a comprehensive disinformation campaign, including claims about Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure. He was referring to a U.S.-brokered energy ceasefire, which both Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of violating.
Dmitriev previously played a role in informal diplomatic contacts between Moscow and Trump’s entourage during the 2016 U.S. presidential transition. He was later appointed by Vladimir Putin as his representative for international economic relations and was involved in early negotiations between Russia and the United States, held in Riyadh in February.
Moscow has indicated it is not ready to pursue a peace agreement with Ukraine and has presented maximalist demands in ceasefire talks with both Kyiv and Washington. As a result, U.S. officials have become increasingly frustrated by Moscow’s slow pace in the negotiations, according to Bloomberg reports.
The first round of U.S.-Russia negotiations took place in Riyadh in early February and lasted nearly five hours. During the talks, delegates drafted a three-phase peace plan. Ukraine, however, declared that it would deem any such agreement between the U.S. and Russia invalid if it were concluded without Ukrainian involvement.
On March 24, U.S. and Russian officials held a second round of talks, lasting 12 hours, and reached a ceasefire agreement in the Black Sea region. Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia continue to accuse each other of attacks on energy infrastructure, despite a moratorium proposed by the American side.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
