The key facts

  • Kirill Dmitriev will meet with Melania Trump and representatives of the White House
  • This is the first in-person contact between Russian and US officials after the November 3 midterm elections
  • The humanitarian agenda has become an important area of negotiations alongside economic deals

Dmitriev's visit to Washington

Special Representative of the Russian President Kirill Dmitriev, during his visit to the United States, will meet with First Lady Melania Trump and will also hold talks with representatives of the White House. This is reported by Reuters, citing two sources; the plans are also covered by Gazeta.Ru.

Humanitarian agenda and composition of the delegations

According to one of the sources familiar with Dmitriev's plans, the humanitarian component of his contacts with the United States and his interaction with Melania Trump's team has become an important area of negotiations alongside economic and business deals. The same source noted that Russia and the United States have a mutual interest in continuing these humanitarian operations. RIA Novosti reported, that Russia will be represented at the meeting by Kirill Dmitriev and Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova, while the Ukrainian side will be represented by the head of the Servant of the People faction David Arakhamia and the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets.

Context of the meeting

Reuters emphasizes, that Dmitriev's visit will be the first in-person contact between American and Russian officials after the US midterm elections held on November 3. The White House itself , previously announced that on November 5 Melania Trump intends to deliver a speech about the ceasefire in the city of Alyoshky in the Kherson region and personally receive representatives of Ukraine. Earlier, Dmitriev endorsed Steve Witkoff's words (referred to in the publication as Kushner) about seeking a solution to the conflict in Ukraine.