Moscow/Washington| The Kremlin has expressed cautious optimism following a rare and high-profile visit to Washington, D.C. by Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy for investment and international outreach.
The three-day trip marks the most significant diplomatic engagement between Russia and the United States since formal diplomatic visits were suspended in 2022 amid escalating geopolitical tensions.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Friday that Dmitriev’s trip represented a potentially meaningful step toward the restoration of bilateral ties, but cautioned against premature conclusions.
“Let’s first wait for his return to Moscow,” Peskov told reporters. “There’s cautious optimism. Work is painstaking and ongoing, including through different channels.”
Dmitriev, who leads the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), arrived in Washington earlier this week for meetings with several senior U.S. officials and lawmakers.
The visit follows his prior participation in diplomatic discussions in Riyadh and comes at a time when both Moscow and Washington are reportedly exploring avenues for de-escalation and renewed cooperation, especially under the administration of President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January.
According to sources familiar with the talks, Dmitriev met with Trump’s special envoy for Middle East affairs, Steve Witkoff, who has also played a prominent role in U.S. backchannel negotiations on Ukraine.
NBC News reported that Dmitriev also held closed-door sessions with Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Markwayne Mullin.
Describing the tone and substance of the meetings, Dmitriev said on Thursday that “Russia and the U.S. made three steps forward over the past two days.”
While specific details remain under wraps, the discussions reportedly covered a broad range of issues, including reviving cooperation severed during President Joe Biden’s administration in 2022.
Key topics on the agenda included the potential resumption of direct flights between the two countries, collaboration in the Arctic region, and joint development of rare-earth mineral resources—critical materials essential to modern technology and defense industries.
The most sensitive point of discussion, however, was the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Dmitriev suggested that progress had been made toward a diplomatic resolution, though he warned that “third parties” were attempting to sabotage normalization efforts championed by Trump since February.
“The Trump administration appears to have a clearer understanding of Moscow’s terms than their predecessors,” Dmitriev said, without elaborating on the specific demands or concessions under discussion.
President Trump, speaking to reporters on Thursday, confirmed Dmitriev’s visit and reiterated his commitment to ending the Ukraine war.
“We are spearheading the drive to get it done,” Trump said. “Europe has not been successful in dealing with President Putin, but I think I will be successful.”
Trump has maintained that he intends to hold direct talks with Putin in the near future, potentially as soon as this week.
The two leaders last spoke on March 18 in what the White House described as a “preliminary dialogue focused on conflict resolution and strategic stability.”
The Kremlin’s guarded but hopeful reaction underscores the delicate nature of these early diplomatic overtures.
While no formal agreements have been announced, the reestablishment of high-level contact represents a significant shift from the diplomatic freeze of recent years.
Analysts say the visit could signal the beginning of a broader recalibration of U.S.-Russia relations, though much will depend on the political will in both capitals and the evolution of the situation in Ukraine.
For now, officials on both sides appear to be testing the waters—carefully, but deliberately.
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