The meeting took place amid pressure from the White House on Russia and Ukraine to implement a ceasefire.
Although the content of the discussion remains unknown, Dmitriev, who is well-versed in U.S. affairs and has strong ties to key members of Trump's team, is seen as a key figure in restoring relations between Moscow and Washington.
This was the first visit of a Russian official to Washington for talks since Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine. It came just days after President Donald Trump hinted at more sanctions against Russia and said he was “pissed off” with Putin for criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The U.S. government has temporarily lifted sanctions on Dmitriev to allow the State Department to grant him a visa to enter the United States. The Treasury Department has also been asked to temporarily suspend the sanctions.
The Harvard-educated Dmitriev is the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and a key figure in Russian economic diplomacy. He gained considerable influence after marrying Natalia Popova, a close friend of Putin's daughter, Katerina Tikhonova. Dmitriev, who was part of the Russian delegation at the recent U.S.-Russian talks in Riyadh, stressed the need for joint projects between the two nations, including in the Arctic and other strategic regions.
"Putin and his inner circle of cronies have long relied on RDIF and Dmitriev to raise funds abroad, including in the United States," the Treasury Department wrote in 2022.
Appointed by the Russian dictator as his special representative for investment and economic cooperation, Dmitriev's role in promoting Russia's economic ties abroad continues to expand despite ongoing geopolitical tensions.
He previously worked with Witkoff to secure the release of American teacher Marc Fogel from Russia.
On March 31, Dmitriev said that the U.S. and Russia had begun discussions on joint projects related to the extraction of rare earth metals, claiming that several American companies had already "expressed interest" in the projects.