Kirill Dmitriev Again "Punches a Tunnel" for the United States: Trying to Persuade the Trump Team to Avoid Rash Actions
Special Representative of Putin Rushes to the US
(Above: Kirill Dmitriev, Special Representative of the President of Russia for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RFPI), in New York)
On October 24, Kirill Dmitriev, special representative of the President of Russia and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RFPI), arrived in the United States. This visit was not publicly announced beforehand and comes at a time when the US is exerting unprecedented pressure on Moscow — just days after the US Treasury imposed new sanctions on the Russian oil industry, and Donald Trump suddenly canceled his summit with Vladimir Putin in Budapest.
According to sources such as Axios News, Dmitriev's visit has raised doubts about the feasibility of the Trump administration's strategy towards Russia.
Just two days after the sanctions were implemented, news of Dmitriev's visit to the US emerged, which many saw as a major shift in Trump's stance — previously, Trump had avoided direct sanctions against Moscow. Bloomberg reported that this shift resulted from the pressure exerted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has long advocated a tough stance against Russia.
Bloomberg cited information from U.S. and European officials stating that Rubio believed "Russia has shown no signs of willingness to engage in dialogue" and angrily canceled a private meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the last minute.
It remains unclear whether Dmitriev will meet with Rubio, who currently holds the strongest anti-Russian position in the Trump administration, but the possibility is very low. However, media outlets such as CNN have confirmed that Dmitriev will meet with the U.S. President's Special Representative Steve Whitcomb.
Dmitriev told Reuters in an exclusive interview: "The meeting was already planned, so despite the recent series of unfriendly actions by the U.S., it was not canceled."
In a conversation with military commentator Laura Logan, he revealed: "Whitcomb is very eager to understand Russia's position and truly grasp our logic — because only by understanding the logic can one either follow it or adjust it and propose new solutions."
The Weekly News pointed out that Laura Logan previously worked for CBS News and Fox Nation, and is one of the American media personalities most sympathetic to Russia and critical of Ukraine. For example, she once referred to Vladimir Zelensky as a "puppet" and a "Nazi."
Western analysts believe that, given the renewed cooling of Russia-US relations, Dmitriev's visit to the US may aim to achieve three goals:
- Testing the space for dialogue: Despite the deteriorating situation, trying to assess the possibility of subsequent dialogue;
- Clarifying the "red lines": Conveying Russia's "red lines" to the U.S., warning of the consequences of further pressure;
- Seeking a compromise for the conflict: Looking for a solution that allows both sides to save face in the Ukraine conflict.
However, skeptics remind us not to be overly optimistic. Bloomberg noted that Trump's sudden shift to a tougher policy toward Russia could be related to pressure from Congress — now not only Democrats but also Republicans are generally calling for the president to take more decisive action against Russia.
Politico News stated that, in this context, any agreement reached with Moscow could face strong criticism from Congress. Currently, senators such as Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Blumenthal, Lindsay Graham (listed by the Russian financial regulator as a terrorist and extremist), and others, as well as representatives like Brian Fitzpatrick, have become increasingly vocal in their hardline anti-Russia positions.
It remains unclear whether the meeting between Dmitriev and Whitcomb will yield results, but the meeting itself indicates that dialogue between Russia and the U.S. continues despite the difficulties.
Although the White House has not yet issued an official statement, the future direction of Russia-U.S. relations remains uncertain. However, it is evident that "backstage diplomacy" is playing a key role in shaping the global political landscape.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated: "If there is a possibility of peace, I am always willing to participate in dialogue."
Kirill Dmitriev also emphasized during an interview with CNN: "We hope to end this conflict as soon as possible. Everyone is committed to resolving disputes through diplomatic means."
Notably, in April this year, Dmitriev became the first Russian official to visit Washington after the outbreak of the special military operation. At that time, he met with Trump's special representative, Steve Whitcomb, which was seen as an important step in easing relations between the Kremlin and the White House.
In addition, Kirill Dmitriev is considered a proponent of the "Trump-Putin tunnel" plan — a proposal to build a passage connecting Alaska and Chukotka (note: the term "tunnel" here metaphorically refers to a bridge project promoting cooperation between the two countries).
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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7565060558148420096/
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