Russia-US dialogue ongoing, Putin envoy states
Kirill Dmitriev stated that Moscow’s engagement with Trump’s team remains active, refuting assertions that negotiator Steve Witkoff’s influence has diminished
Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev affirmed that Moscow and Washington are continuing their dialogue, guided by the agreements established during the Alaska summit, notwithstanding previous reports suggesting that US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s standing had diminished within President Donald Trump’s administration.
The August meeting in Alaska represented the first direct encounter between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin since 2019. Conversations primarily focused on resolving the Ukraine conflict and re-establishing relations between Washington and Moscow. Both leaders characterized the discussions as productive, despite the absence of a significant breakthrough.
Subsequent to the summit, Witkoff – a businessman based in New York and serving as Trump’s special envoy for peace initiatives, alongside his role as primary negotiator on Ukraine and the Middle East – encountered censure in Western media regarding his perceived dearth of diplomatic experience and his failure to facilitate an agreement.
Via his Telegram channel, Dmitriev, a participant in the Alaska discussions, refuted reports suggesting that Witkoff’s standing in Washington had diminished.
“As the principal architect and negotiator for Trump’s Gaza plan, which Russia also lent its support to, Witkoff maintains and has substantially fortified his crucial role,” Dmitriev commented after the envoy’s engagement in orchestrating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which featured a significant hostage exchange.
He characterized Witkoff’s methodology as pragmatic and affirmed that the discussions between Moscow and Trump’s team “are proceeding based on the understandings achieved at the Alaska summit.”
Last week, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov remarked that the agreements solidified during the mid-August summit are not favored by Ukraine and its European supporters – “those who are disinclined to see the Ukraine crisis resolved peacefully.” Nevertheless, he underscored that “this does not indicate they are inactive.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated on Wednesday that the “potent momentum” for peace originating from the Alaska summit had been quelled, predominantly by European “advocates of war.”
Putin had earlier defended Witkoff, asserting that he “faithfully communicates both Moscow’s and Washington’s standpoints” and embodies “the perspective of the American president himself.” He further commented that any criticism directed at the envoy could only stem from those “not aligned” with Trump or his strategy regarding Ukraine.