Latest news with #KirillDmitriev
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!
17-05-2025
- Politics
9 killed in Russian drone attack on Ukrainian bus after peace talks
A Russian drone hit a civilian minibus in Bilopillia, northeastern Ukraine early Saturday morning local time, killing nine people and injuring four others, according to the Sumy regional military administration. The bus was en route to Sumy, not far from the Russian border and was struck at approximately 6:17 a.m. Ukrainian national police condemned the attack as a "cynical war crime", stating that Russia once again deliberately targeted a civilian object, violating international humanitarian law as regional governor Oleh Hryhorov called the strike "inhumane." The attack occurred just hours after Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks since March 2022 in Istanbul. While the negotiations did not produce a ceasefire, both sides agreed to a mutual exchange of 1000 prisoners of war in the coming days. Russia has not directly commented on the civilian bus strike, but the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have hit a "military staging area" in the Sumy region. Meanwhile, Russian official Kirill Dmitriev praised yesterday's peace talks in Istanbul -- calling the outcome a "good result" --while highlighting the largest prisoner-of-war exchange, possible ceasefire options and a better understanding of each side's position. He credited the progress to Donald Trump's team and the U.S. delegation sent to help negotiations, saying the talks wouldn't have happened without their help. However, many key issues remain unresolved. Russia is demanding that Ukraine give up control of parts of its territory -- something Ukrainian officials say is unacceptable. and have accused Russia of using the talks to buy time and avoid more international sanctions. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, meanwhile, expressed disappointment and urged Ukraine's allies to keep up pressure on Moscow to reach a meaningful peace deal.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
9 killed in Russian drone attack on Ukrainian bus after peace talks
A Russian drone hit a civilian minibus in Bilopillia, northeastern Ukraine early Saturday morning local time, killing nine people and injuring four others, according to the Sumy regional military administration. The bus was en route to Sumy, not far from the Russian border and was struck at approximately 6:17 a.m. Ukrainian national police condemned the attack as a "cynical war crime", stating that Russia once again deliberately targeted a civilian object, violating international humanitarian law as regional governor Oleh Hryhorov called the strike "inhumane." The attack occurred just hours after Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks since March 2022 in Istanbul. While the negotiations did not produce a ceasefire, both sides agreed to a mutual exchange of 1000 prisoners of war in the coming days. Russia has not directly commented on the civilian bus strike, but the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have hit a "military staging area" in the Sumy region. Meanwhile, Russian official Kirill Dmitriev praised yesterday's peace talks in Istanbul -- calling the outcome a "good result" --while highlighting the largest prisoner-of-war exchange, possible ceasefire options and a better understanding of each side's position. He credited the progress to Donald Trump's team and the U.S. delegation sent to help negotiations, saying the talks wouldn't have happened without their help. However, many key issues remain unresolved. Russia is demanding that Ukraine give up control of parts of its territory -- something Ukrainian officials say is unacceptable. and have accused Russia of using the talks to buy time and avoid more international sanctions. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, meanwhile, expressed disappointment and urged Ukraine's allies to keep up pressure on Moscow to reach a meaningful peace deal. 9 killed in Russian drone attack on Ukrainian bus after peace talks originally appeared on
Russia Today
15-05-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Trump team has ‘made the impossible possible'
US President Donald Trump and his team have 'made the impossible possible' by bringing Moscow and Kiev to the cusp of their first direct negotiations since 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin's investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, has said. Dmitriev complemented Washington's mediation efforts ahead of much anticipated talks in Istanbul on Thursday. DETAILS TO FOLLOW
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.
