Senior Russian negotiator announces talks with Trump representatives in Washington

A senior Russian negotiator on Thursday announced that he is holding talks in Washington with representatives of US President Donald Trump's administration.

Kirill Dmitriev, Russia's special envoy for foreign investment and economic cooperation, said on Telegram that he started two days of talks on Wednesday at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The dialogue between Russia and the United States, which is of the utmost importance for the entire world, was completely destroyed under the (former US President Joe) Biden administration,” Dmitriev said.

The envoy argued that “numerous forces” interested in keeping global tensions “stand in the way” of restoring constructive dialogue in many countries of the world.

“These forces deliberately distort Russia's position, trying to disrupt any steps toward dialogue, sparing neither means nor resources,” he added.

Those opposing rapprochement are afraid Russia and the US will find “common ground and begin to better understand each other and build cooperation,” both politically and economically, he said.

“Yes, restoring dialogue is a difficult and gradual process. But each meeting, each frank conversation allows us to move forward.

"A real understanding of the Russian position opens up new opportunities for constructive interaction, including in the investment and economic sphere,” he said.