Kirill Dmitriev is the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and a confidant of Putin, whose visit to Washington for talks with the Donald Trump administration has sparked media interest, Reuters reports.
What is his job?
Kirill Dmitriev, 49, has been the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund since 2011. since, quoted by BTA.
In February, he was appointed Putin's special envoy for international economic and investment cooperation.
Why is he important?
Dmitriev is in frequent contact with President Putin and is among the Russian elite with the most knowledge of the United States. He has close ties to key members of Donald Trump's team. Dmitriev played a key role in the initial contacts with the United States after Trump's election as president in 2016. and in strengthening relations with Saudi Arabia, which led to an agreement on oil prices.
He has met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman several times and spoke with US special envoy Steve Witkoff during his visit to Moscow.
Dmitriev's wife, Natalia, is a deputy to Putin's daughter, Katerina Tikhonova, at a foundation that collaborates with Moscow State University. Both of Putin's daughters have been subject to US sanctions since 2022.
What is his background?
Dmitriev was born in Kiev, in what was then Soviet Ukraine. He studied at an elite school specializing in physics and mathematics, then continued his studies at Stanford University in California and graduated with honors from Harvard. He is fluent in English.
After graduating from Stanford, Dmitriev worked at the investment banks "Goldman Sachs" in New York and "McKinsey & Company". In Moscow, he was CEO of "Delta Private Equity Partners" - an investment management company created by the American Investment Fund for Russia.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund, which Dmitriev has headed since 2011, organizes the production and international trade of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine, "Sputnik V".
What topics might he discuss in Washington?
It is not entirely clear what exactly Dmitriev will discuss in the American capital, but it is possible that he will arrive with a message from Putin for Trump. The talks could touch on a range of issues in which Russia and the US could cooperate economically, financially and in the field of space exploration.
Possible topics include the restoration of the presence of American companies in Russia, rare earth elements, energy prices, climate change in the Arctic, the exchange of hostages and cooperation in space, including with Elon Musk.
Is Dmitriev sanctioned?
Dmitriev is described in US sanctions documents as a "known ally of Putin". However, the European Union has not imposed sanctions on him. According to CNN, which first reported his visit to Washington, the Trump administration has temporarily suspended sanctions against Dmitriev to allow him to hold his meetings in the US.