Overview
- Five members of Russia's State Duma met U.S. lawmakers in Washington on Saturday at the invitation of Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, marking their first sizable visit since 2014.
- Despite ongoing sanctions tied to the war in Ukraine, the deputies received travel waivers, and the Moscow daily Kommersant reported the Trump administration treated the meetings as private.
- Participants said talks covered ways to end the war in Ukraine, restarting direct flights between the countries, broader economic ties, and a possible future easing of sanctions.
- Gift exchanges, including socks with President Donald Trump's image, served as stagecraft that signaled a friendly tone during the visit.
- Russian officials called the trip “historic” and said they hope U.S. lawmakers will make a reciprocal visit to Russia in May.