Russian President Vladimir Putin's special representative Kirill Dmitriev is traveling to the US, where he is expected to hold talks with representatives of the Donald Trump administration.
The information comes from Reuters, which refers to two sources familiar with the preparations for the meetings. According to the agency, Dmitriev is to hold talks in New York with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, son-in-law of US President Jared Kushner, and other Washington representatives.
The visit was coordinated with Vladimir Putin and will take place within the framework of the UN General Assembly.
Continuation of talks from Moscow
The expected talks in New York will be a continuation of contacts between Moscow and Washington since early September.
On September 5, Putin held a lengthy meeting with Witkoff and Kushner in the Kremlin. Dmitriev also participated in the talks.
According to Reuters, the meeting lasted about three hours. The US officials then visited Kiev as part of Washington's renewed efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the war.
Dmitriev's current visit to the US is the first known follow-up contact between the Russian side and the Trump team on US soil since that meeting.
Ukraine, energy and the economy
According to one of the Reuters sources, the main goal of the visit is to maintain the Russian-US dialogue and continue efforts to achieve peace.
The agenda is expected to include three main areas - the war in Ukraine, energy issues and economic cooperation between Russia and the US.
This places Dmitriev's visit in the broader context of diplomatic contacts between Moscow and Washington, which have been reactivated in recent weeks.
Who is Kirill Dmitriev?
Dmitriev heads the Russian Direct Investment Fund and is Putin's special representative for investment and economic cooperation abroad.
He is one of the main Russian representatives who maintain contact with the American side.
Dmitriev has education and professional experience in the US, including work at Goldman Sachs and McKinsey. According to Reuters, this, as well as his previous contacts with the US administration, make him one of the key channels of communication between Moscow and Washington.
Previous talks with Witkoff and Kushner have discussed sanctions, energy issues and the release of detained citizens.
Important moment for Russian-US dialogue
Dmitriev's trip comes just hours after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York.
After the talks, Rubio said that both Russia and Ukraine had expressed interest in a limited ceasefire related to the energy and grain sectors. Washington has also extended an invitation to Putin to participate in the G20 summit in Miami in December.
In this context, Dmitriev's upcoming talks can be seen as another channel for direct communication between Moscow and the Trump administration.
There has been no official announcement yet about the specific participants, the place and time of the talks, nor about any agreements reached. Reuters sources only indicate that the meetings are planned and that Ukraine, energy and economic relations will be among the main topics.
The next development, which is awaited with interest, is whether the talks in New York will lead to new concrete agreements between Moscow and Washington.
Sources: Reuters