Overview
- Kirill Dmitriev, a Kremlin special envoy, is in the United States meeting senior Trump administration officials to discuss a possible Ukraine peace deal and U.S.–Russia economic ties, Reuters reported Friday.
- The trip comes just before the April 11 expiry of a 30‑day U.S. waiver that let buyers take delivery of sanctioned Russian oil already at sea, and it is unclear if sanctions policy is part of the talks.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously said the waiver aimed to steady oil prices after the war involving Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and jolted energy markets.
- The Kremlin said the visit does not mean peace talks have resumed, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov describing Dmitriev’s role as focused on economic issues rather than negotiating a settlement.
- Dmitriev leads the Russian Direct Investment Fund and has been sanctioned by the U.S., EU, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand since February 2022, and earlier in March he met Jared Kushner and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff after a Trump–Putin call set the stage for renewed outreach.