Days after US President Donald Trump imposed a new round of sanctions on Russia, one of Moscow’s top envoys arrived in Washington for official discussions.

According to a CNN report, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and a Kremlin special envoy, is scheduled to meet senior Trump administration officials. Sources told CNN the meetings aim to “continue discussions about the US–Russia relationship.”

Visit Comes Amid Growing Tensions

Dmitriev’s visit comes at a tense time. The United States has grown increasingly frustrated with Russia’s refusal to end its war in Ukraine. Trump recently said he had “canceled” a planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced fresh sanctions targeting Russia’s largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil. Washington said the move was part of its effort to pressure Moscow into agreeing to an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.

Putin Dismisses US Sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin brushed off the new sanctions. He claimed they would not harm Russia’s economy and accused the US of trying to apply political pressure.

“No self-respecting country ever does anything under pressure,” CNN quoted Putin as saying on Thursday.

Putin added that he had warned Trump during a recent conversation that the sanctions could raise global oil prices, including in the United States.

Dmitriev Advocates Closer US-Russia Ties

Kirill Dmitriev has long supported stronger economic ties between Russia and the US. He even proposed building a “Trump-Putin” tunnel linking Alaska and the Russian Far East.

Dmitriev was born in Soviet-era Ukraine and later studied at Harvard and Stanford. Before leading RDIF, he worked for McKinsey & Company and investment bank Goldman Sachs.

US Sanctioned Dmitriev After Ukraine Invasion

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Dmitriev. It described him as a “close associate of Putin” and extended the sanctions to his family.

In April, Dmitriev became the first Russian official to visit Washington, DC, since the invasion. During that visit, he met with Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff. The meeting was seen as a sign of improving relations between Moscow and Washington at that time.

Temporary Sanction Waiver Granted

Sources told CNN that the US government had temporarily lifted sanctions on Dmitriev earlier this year to allow him to obtain a visa for official talks. The State Department reportedly approved the travel permit to make the visit possible.