Putin’s envoy Dmitriev arrives in U.S. to ‘discuss relations’ after new sanctions

According to the sources, Dmitriev is expected to meet with members of the Trump administration “to continue discussions on U.S.–Russia relations.”

CNN noted the visit comes amid Washington’s mounting frustration with the Kremlin’s refusal to halt its war in Ukraine. It also follows Trump’s cancellation of a planned summit with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

On Oct. 16, Trump held a phone call with Putin, after which he announced plans for a new meeting in Budapest.

On Oct. 17, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the Russian dictator indeed planned to meet the U.S. president, but said the talks would require “thorough preparation.”

On Oct. 20, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone conversation to discuss “next steps” in continued talks between the two leaders over ending the war in Ukraine.

On Oct. 21, CNN, citing a White House official, reported that the planned meeting between the U.S. secretary of state and Russia’s foreign minister had been “postponed for the time being.”

Later that day, an NBC News journalist said that planning for a Trump–Putin summit had been suspended.

On Oct. 22, Trump confirmed he had canceled the planned meeting with Putin in Budapest.

The United States also imposed new sanctions on Russia for the first time under Trump’s second administration. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the measures “due to Russia’s continued lack of meaningful commitment to a peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine.”