Putin's representative Kiril Dmitriev recently visited Washington, causing a stir. Experts believe the Kremlin is concerned about Donald Trump's new position on Russia's war against Ukraine.
Trump has repeatedly urged Russia to consider how to end the war rather than escalate. In the past, Putin successfully manipulated Trump through private, amicable communication, but recently, this approach has lost its effectiveness; signs of friendliness from Moscow have disappeared, and the relationship has grown tense.
Before Dmitriev's visit, Trump reportedly expected a gesture from Moscow, but none was forthcoming. Instead, Putin's envoy repeated old talking points such as "successful Burevestnik tests" and adopted a posture of strength, which found little resonance with US officials. Dmitriev's only confirmed high-level meeting was with Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, to whom he presented gifts and a message from Putin.
Experts argue that Dmitriev's trip not only failed to improve relations but further undermined the image of Russian diplomacy in Washington. Unexpected US sanctions demonstrated the White House's resolve and caught the Kremlin off guard.
The visit highlighted confusion and lack of strategy on the Russian side, casting uncertainty over next steps and potentially influencing future US-Russia talks on the war in Ukraine.
