Witkoff meets in Washington with Putin's envoy - Reuters
Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy (photo: Getty Images)
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff held a meeting in Washington with the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev, who visited the American capital, reports Reuters.
According to two US officials familiar with the matter, Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy for investment met with US officials in Washington.
The meeting took place on Wednesday amid efforts by US President Donald Trump to end the Russia-Ukraine war and apply pressure on both Moscow and Kyiv.
The exact topics that Dmitriev discussed with US officials remain unclear, according to Reuters.
However, Western media noted that the visit of Putin's envoy came after President Trump expressed his frustration with the pace of ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Specifically, on Sunday, the US leader stated that he was angry at Kremlin head Vladimir Putin and raised the possibility of imposing sanctions on those buying Russian oil.
Trump's representative, Witkoff, who had led US contacts with the Kremlin, invited Dmitriev to the US last week, US officials told Reuters.
It is also important to note that this was the first known visit to the US by a high-ranking Russian official since Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Additionally, Dmitriev had previously been included in the Russian delegation for talks with the US in Riyadh on February 18, 2025. On the US side, the delegation included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs Steve Witkoff.
It was also reported earlier that the White House instructed the US Department of State to issue Dmitriev a short-term travel license to enter the country. This step was necessary because he had been previously sanctioned by the US. The restrictive measures against Dmitriev were temporarily lifted.
Previously, Dmitriev had mentioned that the two countries had allegedly begun discussing projects in Russia, such as a joint deal on rare earth metals.
