Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that there is “cautious optimism” in Russia’s relations with the United States.
Work is being done, painstaking work. The work is being done through various channels. Contacts such as those made by Kirill Dmitriev are very important. It is very important. The work will continue,” Peskov said.
This is how he commented on the recent talks of the Russian representative Kirill Dmitriev in the United States.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian representative Dmitriev met on Wednesday and Thursday in Washington, days after US President Donald Trump expressed disappointment with Vladimir Putin over the lack of momentum in ceasefire talks in the war in Ukraine.
In an interview with CNN on Thursday after the meetings, Dmitriev said: “Steve was really focused on finding solutions. I think there is an understanding of how we can move towards finalising an agreement and there was a lot of discussion in that direction.”
Dmitriev-a Stanford-educated former Goldman Sachs investment banker-is one of the most knowledgeable members of the Russian elite in the United States and has close ties to some key members of Trump’s team. He is the first Russian official to visit the US on state business since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
On 18 February, Dmitriev was part of a Russian delegation attending talks with a US delegation in the Saudi capital Riyadh. He reported that Moscow handed Washington several proposals for cooperation in the investment and economic sphere.