Russia blames Europe for sabotaging the dialogue between Trump and Putin

“Various forces, mainly Britain and Europeans, are trying to derail direct dialogue between Putin and Trump,” Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev told Reuters on Friday after arriving in Washington. He also stated that the dialogue was continuing despite “unfriendly steps” from the US.

Vladimir Putin's economic advisor and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) stated in an interview with the agency that his visit to the US, which began on Friday, had been planned for a long time, and “the American side did not withdraw it, despite a number of recent unfriendly steps“.

Dmitriev blamed “various forces, mainly Great Britain and Europeans”, for trying to derail direct dialogue between the leaders of the US and Russia. The Kremlin's envoy assured that the dialogue between the US and Russia will continue.

Following Putin, Dmitriev assessed that the announced sanctions against the two largest oil companies in Russia will only contribute to an increase in gasoline prices at Russian stations.

The Kremlin envoy previously announced his arrival in the US in a post on the X platform.

I came to the United States to continue the American-Russian dialogue – a visit planned some time ago at the invitation of the American side. This dialogue is extremely important for the world and must be continued with full understanding of Russia's position and respect for its national interests, he wrote.

According to Axios, an advisor to the Russian leader is scheduled to meet with special envoy for peacekeeping Steve Witkoff in Miami on Saturday. Dmitriev himself also announced meetings with other officials whom he did not mention by name. The portal reported that Russia wants to resume preparations for the meeting of the world's leaders after Trump announced the cancellation of the planned meeting in Budapest.

Dmitriev is subject to US sanctions imposed by the Joe Biden administration, but in the case of his previous visit to the US, these restrictions were suspended. He is known for his public praise of Donald Trump. He also repeatedly emphasized the potential benefits from economic cooperation between the two countries.

From Washington Oskar Górzyński (PAP)

osk/ mal/