Latest news with #Dmitriev
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Putin's negotiator Dmitriev pushing for release of $280 billion in frozen Russian assets, Ukrainian intel chief says
The head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev, is spearheading efforts to secure the release of some $280 billion in frozen Russian assets, Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU) Chief Oleh Ivashchenko told Ukrinform in an interview published on May 26. Kyiv-born Dmitriev was previously appointed by President Vladimir Putin as a special envoy for economic affairs, tasked with facilitating dialogue with the Trump administration. "Dmitriev's main task is to get Russia's frozen assets out. This is a colossal amount for them," Ivashchenko said. Western governments froze around $300 billion in Russian sovereign assets following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Kyiv has repeatedly urged the G7 and EU to move from freezing to confiscating those funds and using them to finance Ukraine's defense and post-war recovery. Western governments have primarily relied on reallocating interest income generated by the frozen funds to support Kyiv. Ivashchenko accused Dmitriev of trying to reframe the international conversation away from Russia's war against Ukraine. "Dmitriev is trying to show the U.S. that let's not focus on war and peace, let's look at the bigger picture. We have the Arctic, we have oil, gas, we have Siberia with resources," he said. President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking on April 9, also said that Dmitriev has been tasked with conveying Moscow's economic proposals to Washington. Dmitriev previously played a key role in Russia's backchannel diplomacy with the Trump team after the 2016 U.S. election. After his May 19 call with Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump said Russia was ready to engage in major trade deals with the U.S. once the war ends. "There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "Its potential is unlimited. Likewise, Ukraine can be a great beneficiary on trade, in the process of rebuilding its country." Ivashchenko warned that these overtures from Dmitriev are part of a deliberate effort to deflect attention from Ukraine and gain leverage in broader geopolitical negotiations. "The issue of Ukraine is being blurred," he added. Read also: West no longer imposing range restrictions on arms for Ukraine, Germany's Merz says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Russia seeks to shield billions of frozen funds by diverting focus from war in Ukraine
Kirill Dmitriev, Russia's envoy for economic cooperation with foreign states, is attempting to shield Russia's frozen assets from punitive measures. Source: Oleh Ivashchenko, Head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, as reported by Ukrinform Quote: "If we take, for example, Russia's special representative for economic cooperation with foreign states, Kirill Dmitriev, he is lobbying global commerce matters. His main task is to shield Russia's frozen assets from punitive measures. This is a huge sum for them – US$280 billion. Dmitriev is trying to tell the United States: 'let's not focus solely on war and peace – let's take a broader view. We have the Arctic, we have oil and gas, we have Siberia with its resources. Do you need rare earth metals? Let's talk.' And this results in the Ukrainian issue being blurred, pushed into the background." Details: Ivashchenko stressed that in this context, "our task is to ensure that the Ukrainian issue remains at the top of the agenda". Read more: Officer Dmitriev: how a Kyiv-born financier became the main negotiator between Putin and Trump Background: Russia expected that a number of US companies would resume operations in the Russian market by the second quarter of 2025. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
IOL News
14-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
BRICS+ Series: What the US-Russia Trade Resurgence Means for Global Geopolitics
Despite the widely publicised rupture in diplomatic relations between Russia and the United States, since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, recent trade data reveals a counterintuitive development: economic ties between the two powers are quietly resurging. In March 2025, US-Russia trade reached a two-year high of $573.4 million, a striking 50% increase from February's $389.4 million, based on official US statistics. This surge, driven primarily by Russia's exports, raises profound questions about the durability of Western sanctions, the fluidity of geopolitical alliances, and the direction of global multilateralism in an increasingly multipolar world. The Trade Reality Beneath the Political Theatre At the core of this trade revival is the United States' increased importation of critical raw materials from Russia. In March alone, the US imported $219 million worth of Russian fertilizers, $87.5 million in platinum, and additional shipments of phosphates, plywood, and other industrial goods. These are not luxuries—they are strategic commodities essential for American agriculture, industry, and technology sectors. Meanwhile, US exports to Russia remained steady at $50 million, with vaccines, medical instruments, food products, and lab testing equipment dominating the list. This points to a quiet acknowledgment of mutual dependency in key sectors. Are sanctions losing their effectiveness? This rebound in trade comes at a time when sanctions fatigue appears to be setting in across much of the West. While the European Union continues to pursue restrictions on Russian energy and technology, US businesses, especially in sectors not directly covered by sanctions are finding legal avenues to re-engage. The fact that over 150 American companies have remained operational in Russia, as stated by Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) head Kirill Dmitriev, is telling. Dmitriev's remarks about foreign investors returning to the Russian market highlight a critical contradiction in Western policy: sanctions have limited long-term effectiveness when they clash with national economic interests. The demand for raw materials, metals, and agricultural inputs often overrides ideological posturing, particularly when inflation and supply chain volatility strain domestic economies. St. Petersburg Economic Forum and the Return of the Quiet Multinational The upcoming St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) to be held from 18–21 June 2025 under the theme Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World, is expected to further signal Russia's pivot from isolation toward reintegration. According to Dmitriev, the SPIEF will host high-level engagements with international investors, including Americans, many of whom never formally exited the Russian market. The emphasis on shared values within a multipolar framework underscores Russia's strategic narrative: that global commerce can and should transcend Western hegemony. This is not merely rhetorical, it is supported by ongoing Russian-Chinese diplomatic engagement and parallel trade surges with Global South economies. What This Means for Geopolitics and Multilateralism This quiet but steady re-engagement between the US and Russia on trade suggests that realpolitik is alive and well. Behind the scenes, national interest continues to drive policy. While Washington publicly champions Ukrainian sovereignty and denounces Russian aggression, it is simultaneously facilitating trade in critical commodities, a paradox that reveals the limits of liberal internationalism when confronted with material realities. This trend affirms the reemergence of multipolar multilateralism. Countries like Russia are no longer wholly dependent on Western markets, but they are not completely divorced from them either. Instead, a new form of pragmatic multilateralism is taking shape, one that blends ideological divergence with economic interdependence. This development also pressures institutions like the United Nations and World Trade Organisation to redefine neutrality in an age where East and West are both trading and contesting power simultaneously. In this context, platforms like the SPIEF—and even China's Belt and Road Initiative, are emerging as alternative hubs of economic diplomacy, particularly for middle powers and developing nations seeking to diversify beyond the US-EU axis. The Road Ahead: Cooperation in a Fractured World While the resumption of trade does not equate to political reconciliation, it does suggest that isolationist strategies are insufficient. As climate change, supply chain realignments, and regional conflicts continue to destabilise global systems, selective cooperation, even among adversaries, may become not just pragmatic, but necessary. Whether this trend will catalyse deeper political dialogues or remain compartmentalised within the economic sphere remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the binary logic of Cold War politics is no longer viable in today's entangled global economy. As the United States and Russia continue to posture on the world stage, their trade numbers whisper a more complicated truth—that in an era of geopolitical rupture, economic necessity often keeps doors open where diplomacy has slammed them shut. Written By: *Dr Iqbal Survé Past chairman of the BRICS Business Council and co-chairman of the BRICS Media Forum and the BRNN *Chloe Maluleke Associate at BRICS+ Consulting Group Russian & Middle Eastern Specialist **The Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Independent Media or IOL.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Putin's top Ukraine negotiator plotted to send expired Covid vaccines to Africa
Vladimir Putin's key man in talks with Donald Trump was behind a secret plot to challenge US influence by donating expired Covid vaccines to Africa, The Telegraph can reveal. The scheme was spearheaded by Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian sovereign wealth fund, who now holds a major role in Russia's negotiations with the US over Ukraine. In classified letters obtained by a European intelligence source and provided to The Telegraph, Mr Dmitriev urged the Russian health ministry to push back the expiration date on 6 million doses of the Sputnik Light jab by two months. The doses were to be donated as 'humanitarian aid' at a Russia-Africa summit originally scheduled for October 2022. 'The key competitors of Russian vaccines, including the United States, are already supplying a number of countries with free vaccines,' Mr Dmitriev wrote in a letter to Mikhail Murashko, the Russian health minister, which was marked as classified. 'Due to the current geopolitical situation, the possibility of organising humanitarian deliveries of Russian vaccines to friendly African countries is extremely urgent. We also request your assistance in promptly extending the shelf life of over 6 million doses of the vaccine Sputnik Light.' It remains unclear whether Mr Dmitriev, whose father was a well-known Ukrainian biologist, offered any scientific justifications for extending the shelf life of the jabs. Anthony Cox, a professor of clinical pharmacy and drug safety, said: 'Changes in expiration dates should be based on scientific data about the stability and potency of the vaccine, and there are clear ethical concerns if political considerations are in play.' Eight months after Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin was jostling with its Western rivals for influence in the global south. Russia has repeatedly targeted the African continent with soft-power campaigns. The classified documents reveal the importance the Kremlin placed on diplomatic programmes during its most isolated period in the middle of 2022, when international outrage over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine was at its height. Mr Dmitriev's current role at the heart of the negotiations between Washington and Moscow ignores his shadowy past as one of Putin's most loyal henchmen. He headed the development of, and became the chief promoter of, Russia's Covid vaccines programme, which was facilitated by Moscow's biological weapons programme. This included the 48th Central Research Institute, which was sanctioned by the US government for its connection to the development of illicit weapons. There is evidence to suggest that the Russians carried out unlawful human testing on the populations of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, which were illegally annexed from Ukraine by Russian-backed proxies. Russian military doctors affiliated with the institute also conducted a coercive vaccination campaign in the then Russian-occupied territories with vaccines that had not been certified by the European Medicines Agency. Mr Dmitriev has since been appointed as Putin's special envoy for investment and economic co-operation with foreign countries, and is a key member of Russia's negotiating peace team. His importance was indicated by the American government's decision to temporarily lift sanctions on him to enable a visit to the White House at the invitation of Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump's special envoy, and he was seen in a video clip on Friday giving Mr Witkoff a tour of Moscow. Mr Dmitriev, who was born in Kyiv, studied at Harvard and Stanford and has worked at McKinsey and Goldman Sachs and has often been trusted by Putin to oversee major projects. As well as building a relationship with Mr Witkoff, he has close relationships with Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Erik Prince, an ex-Blackwater boss, and Jared Kushner, Mr Trump's son-in-law. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Putin's top Ukraine negotiator plotted to send expired Covid vaccines to Africa
Vladimir Putin's key man in talks with Donald Trump was behind a secret plot to challenge US influence by donating expired Covid vaccines to Africa, The Telegraph can reveal. The scheme was spearheaded by Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian sovereign wealth fund, who now hold a major role in Russia's negotiations with the US over Ukraine. In classified letters obtained by a European intelligence source and provided to The Telegraph, Mr Dmitriev urged the Russian health ministry to push back the expiration date on 6 million doses of the Sputnik Light jab by two months. The doses were to be donated as 'humanitarian aid' at a Russia-Africa summit originally scheduled for October 2022. 'The key competitors of Russian vaccines, including the United States, are already supplying a number of countries with free vaccines,' Mr Dmitriev wrote in a letter to Mikhail Murashko, the Russian health minister, which was marked as classified. 'Due to the current geopolitical situation, the possibility of organising humanitarian deliveries of Russian vaccines to friendly African countries is extremely urgent. We also request your assistance in promptly extending the shelf life of over 6 million doses of the vaccine Sputnik Light.' It remains unclear whether Mr Dmitriev, whose father was a well-known Ukrainian biologist, offered any scientific justifications for extending the shelf life of the jabs. Anthony Cox, a professor of clinical pharmacy and drug safety, said: 'Changes in expiration dates should be based on scientific data about the stability and potency of the vaccine, and there are clear ethical concerns if political considerations are in play.' Eight months after Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin was jostling with its Western rivals for influence in the global south. Russia has repeatedly targeted the African continent with soft-power campaigns. The classified documents reveal the importance the Kremlin placed on diplomatic programmes during its most isolated period in the middle of 2022, when international outrage over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine was at its height. Mr Dmitriev's current role at the heart of the negotiations between Washington and Moscow ignores his shadowy past as one of Putin's most loyal henchmen. He headed the development of, and became the chief promoter of, Russia's Covid vaccines programme, which was facilitated by Moscow's biological weapons programme. This included the 48th Central Research Institute, which was sanctioned by the US government for its connection to the development of illicit weapons. There is evidence to suggest that the Russians carried out unlawful human testing on the populations of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, which were illegally annexed from Ukraine by Russian-backed proxies. Russian military doctors affiliated with the institute also conducted a coercive vaccination campaign in the then Russian-occupied territories with vaccines that had not been certified by the European Medicines Agency. Mr Dmitriev has since been appointed as Putin's special envoy for investment and economic co-operation with foreign countries, and is a key member of Russia's negotiating peace team. His importance was indicated by the American government's decision to temporarily lift sanctions on him to enable a visit to the White House at the invitation of Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump's special envoy, and he was seen in a video clip on Friday giving Mr Witkoff a tour of Moscow. Mr Dmitriev, who was born in Kyiv, studied at Harvard and Stanford and has worked at McKinsey and Goldman Sachs and has often been trusted by Putin to oversee major projects. As well as building a relationship with Mr Witkoff, he has close relationships with Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Erik Prince, an ex-Blackwater boss, and Jared Kushner, Mr Trump's son-in-law.
