Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of Russia’s Direct Investment Fund and special Putin envoy who was sent this week to meet with top US officials in Washington, has said his two-days of meetings went well and that positive steps were made.

“I would say that today and yesterday, we made three steps forward on a large number of issues,” Dmitriev said after meeting with Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Middle East envoy, who has also been deeply involved in Ukraine negotiations.

It was Witkoff who met last month with President Putin in Moscow. As for Dmitriev’s visit, it marked the first official trip of a top Russian official to the United States to meet with US officials since the Ukraine war began.

Dmitriev told CNN in a fresh interview that he conveyed to the Trump administration that Moscow is ready to do business again with American companies.

“At this point, we are not asking for any sanction relief. We are just discussing that if America wants to have more business with Russia… then of course US can do so,” he said.

He warned that both sides must overcome the lack of communication which marked the opening three years of war in Ukraine. “Therefore, the process of dialogue, the process of resolution will take some time, but it is definitely positive and constructive,” he described.

Dmitriev was in the US during the ‘Liberation day’ tariff rollout, praising a policy that reflects “a growing shift toward economic sovereignty and national interest.”

President Trump’s tariff strategy reflects a growing shift toward economic sovereignty and national interest. By prioritizing domestic industry and correcting structural trade imbalances, the U.S. sets a precedent for self-reliant growth and sustainable job creation. https://t.co/sXp7mVMCUU

— Kirill A. Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) April 3, 2025

“I think there is an understanding for how we can move to finalize the agreement. And there have been lots of discussion in that realm, lots of differences still remain, but I think there are several passes to try to address all those issues and only diplomatic solution can be possible,” Dmitriev said further to CNN.

He additionally stated in a separate interview while in D.C., “If President Putin commits to something, it gets done. Putin is a historic leader. Trump is a historic leader. They can work together to make history happen. If they cannot achieve major progress, few leaders can.”

Despite these positive diplomatic engagements, the question of where overall negotiations to end the war in Ukraine stand remains the same: slow-moving and even perhaps stalled. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Tuesday that current US proposals on ending the war can’t be accepted in their current form. He complained they don’t address the “root causes” and that Kiev doesn’t appear ready to get serious about pursuing peace.

Good weather in Washington D.C. pic.twitter.com/gZ8OrELDhV

— Kirill A. Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) April 3, 2025

“What we have today is an effort to find a framework that would make it possible to ensure America’s vision for a ceasefire. The idea is to then move on to some other models and frameworks, which, as far as we can see, leave no room for Russia’s core demand, that is, the need to resolve the issues stemming from the root causes of this conflict,” he said, as quoted in TASS.

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Below are some Friday geopolitical developments via Newsquawk….

Geopolitics: Middle East

• Israeli military say they have “eliminated” Hassan Farhat, a Hamas commander in Lebanon
• Israeli media reported that the Israeli army launched raids on large areas in the Gaza Strip, according to Al Jazeera
• Houthi-affiliated media reports US aggression on the Kahlan area, east of Saada city, northern Yemen, according to Al Jazeera.
• Iran reportedly abandons Houthis under relentless US bombardment and ordered its military personnel to leave Yemen, according to The Telegraph.
• US President Trump said he spoke with Israeli PM Netanyahu on Thursday who may visit the US next week, although it was separately reported that Israeli PM Netanyahu’s visit to the White House will likely take place in a few weeks.
• Turkey said Israel’s attacks on regional countries have made Israel the biggest threat to regional security, while it added that Israel is a regional destabiliser and is feeding chaos and terror.
• Saudi Crown Prince received a phone call from Iran’s President during which they discussed developments in the region and issues of common interest.

Geopolitics: Ukraine

• US President Trump’s inner circle advises against a call with Russian President Putin until he commits to a full ceasefire.
• Russian envoy Dmitriev said lots of differences remain, but a diplomatic solution is possible and there is already some progress on trust-building measures, while he sees a positive dynamic in US-Russian relations and said Several meetings are needed to sort out differences. Dmitriev also stated that a long-term solution that takes into account Russian security concerns is what is needed, as well as commented that they are not asking for a lifting of sanctions and that they can do a deal with the US on rare earths.
• Moscow’s mayor said Russian air defences repelled drones approaching Moscow and specialists are examining fallen fragments.