Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, said Friday that Russia, the US, and Ukraine are “quite close” to reaching a diplomatic solution to end Moscow’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
Speaking to CNN after arriving in Washington for talks with US officials, Dmitriev also denied that a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Putin had been canceled, as the US president previously stated, as per the Reuters report.
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He suggested the two leaders would likely meet at a later date.
The summit, initially scheduled to take place in Budapest, was put on hold Tuesday after Russia rejected an immediate ceasefire – a setback that Trump cited in announcing the postponement.
The US president said he called off the talks due to “a lack of progress in diplomatic efforts” and because “the timing was off.”
However, Dmitriev expressed optimism, saying: “I believe Russia and the US and Ukraine are actually quite close to a diplomatic solution.”
He did not provide details about what such a deal might include.
According to Axios outlet, Dmitriev is expected to meet Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff in Miami on Saturday. Russia’s state news agency TASS reported that Dmitriev would also hold additional, unspecified meetings during his visit.
European diplomats told Reuters this week that EU nations are working with Ukraine on a new proposal for a ceasefire along current battle lines – an idea meant to keep the US engaged while acknowledging the reality on the ground.
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“It’s a big move by President Zelensky to already acknowledge that it’s about battle lines,” Dmitriev said. “You know, his previous position was that Russia should leave completely – so actually, I think we are reasonably close to a diplomatic solution that can be worked out.”
Trump had earlier announced that he and Putin would meet in Hungary to discuss ending the war. But Putin has continued to reject concessions, insisting Ukraine must agree to cede more territory before any ceasefire can be considered.
Dmitriev’s trip to Washington comes amid newly announced US sanctions on two of Russia’s largest oil companies. Despite this, he said dialogue between the two countries would continue, emphasizing that progress was only possible under certain conditions:
“It is certainly only possible if Russia’s interests are taken into account and treated with respect,” he told Reuters.
He also criticized the latest US sanctions, predicting they would hurt American consumers more than Russia.
“They will only lead to gasoline costing more at American gas stations,” Dmitriev added.
Earlier this week, Washington imposed what it called “tremendous sanctions” on Russia’s two biggest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, to weaken the Kremlin’s ability to fund its war in Ukraine.
Officials say success depends on global compliance – particularly from China and India, the main buyers of discounted Russian crude. The US Treasury has warned that foreign banks helping Moscow skirt sanctions risk being cut off from the American financial system.
Trump departed Friday for a three-stop tour of Asia, with his agenda dominated by North Korea’s nuclear threat, trade tensions with Beijing, and a new bid to choke off Moscow’s oil revenue.
The White House said the highlight of the trip will be a face-to-face meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea.
A senior US official said the Trump-Xi talks will focus on trade disputes, China’s export controls, and “China’s purchase of Russian oil.”
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