After Donald Trump canceled his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Budapest and introduced new sanctions against major Russian oil companies, the Kremlin sent its special envoy Kirill Dmitriev to the US. His trip was intended to show Russia’s interest in reviving economic ties with the United States and to shift attention from war to economic issues.
In Washington, Dmitriev is scheduled to meet with Trump’s special representative Steve Withoff and other US officials, trying to promote the idea that economic relations should be prioritized. Withoff’s earlier trip to Moscow before the summit in Anchorage made the US administration realize that Putin was not prepared for concessions, using direct meetings mainly for diplomatic legitimacy.
After conversations with Putin, Trump assigned Secretary of State Marco Rubio to prepare the next summit. Following a discussion with Sergei Lavrov, Rubio realized Russia was unwilling to make any changes: the war in Ukraine must continue, and so-called peace negotiations are merely an imitation.
Dmitriev's mission is to convince the US that the main cause of disagreements is the war, not the economy, and to blame the UK and EU for current tensions as an attempt to deflect responsibility from the Kremlin. He will also argue that Trump should remain independent and not follow the path of Joseph Biden, whom Russian rhetoric portrays as a weak leader.
However, the Russian strategy is unlikely to succeed. During Trump’s presidency, he already offered Russia privileged exit terms, but Putin rejected even those. For the Kremlin, control over Ukraine remains the top priority. Thus, Dmitriev’s mission has slim chances for success.
The commentary concludes that Washington is unlikely to accept Putin’s terms, and Dmitriev’s attempt to shift focus from war to economic cooperation is not expected to be successful.
