Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev announced on April 6 that new contacts between Russia and the United States could take place as early as next week.
Dmitriev, in an interview with Russia’s state-controlled TV Channel One, expressed "cautious optimism" about the renewed diplomatic engagement and emphasized the importance of restoring bilateral ties.
“Of course, the big focus is on restoring Russian-American relations, I have been busy with this for a long time, for many years. Of course, the focus is on economic and investment cooperation... We see the beginning of a respectful, good dialogue,” he said.
The announcement comes amid broader Russian efforts to re-engage with the West, including discussions on sanctions and frozen assets.
Dmitriev played a role in backchannel diplomacy between Moscow and Trump when he was first elected in 2016.
The official was then appointed by Putin as his representative for foreign economic relations and was involved in early U.S.-Russian negotiations in Riyadh in February.
Moscow has shown signs it is unwilling to move forward on a peace deal with Ukraine, and Russian authorities have listed maximalist demands in ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine and the U.S.
As a result, U.S. officials have grown increasingly frustrated with Moscow's slowness in negotiations, according to Bloomberg reports.
However, Dmitriev has praised the administration under Trump for its “constructive and respectful” dialogue with Russia.
Additionally, according to Reuters, talks between Russia and the U.S. have also included the potential restoration of direct flights, U.S. companies re-entering the Russian market, and cooperation in areas such as rare earth metals and Arctic development.
Martin Fornusek
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