Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on April 3 that he saw a "positive dynamic" in relations between Moscow and Washington, but differences remain, and several more meetings are needed to resolve them.
"I think [with] the Trump administration, we are now in [a] realm of thinking about what is possible, what can really work, and how we can find a long-term solution," Dmitriev told CNN following talks with members of President Donald Trump's administration in Washington.
"Without doubt, we note a positive dynamic in our relations," Russian news agencies quoted Dmitriev as telling journalists in Washington earlier on April 3 after the meeting.
"Of course, there are disagreements on various points, but there is a process, there is a dialogue, which in our understanding will help to overcome these disagreements," Dmitriev told journalists.
"A series of meetings will still be needed for us to resolve all our differences. But the main thing we see a positive, creative attitude," he was quoted as saying.
Dmitriev said on Telegram that restoring dialogue “is a difficult and gradual process. But each meeting, each frank conversation allows us to move forward."
He did not name the Trump administration officials he met with, but said they conducted themselves “with great respect, ask a lot of questions, find compromises.”
Dmitriev said he "invited colleagues from the United States to visit Russia."
Dmitriev said among the topics discussed were cooperation on rare metals production and the Arctic. He also said work was under way on restoring direct flights between Russia and the United States, and told US broadcaster Newsmax that Russia would like to work with Elon Musk, head of SpaceX and a close adviser to Trump, on a Mars mission.
Efforts by Trump to restore Russia-U.S. ties have stirred fears in Ukraine and Europe that Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could cut a deal to end the war in Ukraine without their participation.
Dmitriev claimed after meeting with the Trump administration officials that unidentified forces were trying to sow tension between Russia and the United States and distort Russia's position.
"Opponents of the rapprochement are afraid that Russia and the United States will find common ground, begin to understand each other better, and build cooperation both in international affairs and in the economy," he said.
Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, arrived on April 2 and met with presidential envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House, US media reported. Witkoff, a former investment banker who has taken the lead on the administration's contacts with the Kremlin, invited Dmitriev to the United States last week, US officials quoted by Reuters said.
Trump confirmed on April 3 that a Russian envoy was in the United States for talks, but the White House has not released a statement on the visit.
Dmitriev is the most senior Russian official to visit Washington since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He was recently appointed Putin's special envoy on economic cooperation with foreign countries.
The visit comes after Trump expressed frustration with the pace of cease-fire talks. Putin last month rejected a US-Ukrainian cease-fire proposal and has demanded the lifting of some sanctions a condition of a US-proposed truce in the Black Sea.
Dmitriev may be key in repairing relations between Moscow and Washington, which have sunk to the lowest level since the depths of the Cold War. The Russian envoy played a role in early contacts with the United States when Trump was elected president the first time in 2016.
