Washington waiting for Russian negotiator to report to Putin after US visit – Bloomberg
Photo: Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (instagram.com/kirilldmitrievofficial)
On April 2 and 3, Trump's special envoy met with Putin's negotiator in Washington. Now, the US is awaiting his report to the Kremlin chief before taking further steps toward resolving the war in Ukraine, informs Bloomberg.
The meeting between Steve Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev took place a few days after US President Donald Trump expressed his disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was due to the lack of progress in negotiations on a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Now, according to a person familiar with the course of the negotiations, the US is waiting for Dmitriev to report back to Putin before the parties take any further steps. Bloomberg also cited a Russian official after the negotiations.
"Steve has been really focused on solutions. I think there is an understanding for how we can move to finalize the agreement, and there have been lots of discussion in that realm," Putin’s negotiator said in an interview with CNN.
Media outlets also report that US officials are increasingly frustrated with the slow progress of negotiations from Moscow’s side. What seemed like a breakthrough last week on a partial truce in the Black Sea quickly evaporated after Russian officials stated that the issue depended on lifting sanctions. In particular, this statement contradicts the US declaration outlining the parameters of the deal.
Additionally, Russia and Ukraine have exchanged accusations of failing to comply with the terms of the partial ceasefire, including striking energy facilities.
