Russian Envoy Dmitriev Heads to US for Talks With Witkoff, Kushner

Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev is heading to the United States on Wednesday for talks with Trump administration representatives Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and others, Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with preparations for the meetings. The talks are expected to take place in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and were agreed upon with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the sources.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. One source said the aim of Dmitriev’s visit is to maintain dialogue between Russia and the United States and support efforts toward a peaceful settlement. Dmitriev’s visit will follow a Sept. 5 meeting between Putin and US representatives at the Kremlin, which was also attended by Dmitriev and Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov. Economic cooperation, energy issues and a potential settlement of Russia’s war against Ukraine are expected to be among the topics discussed, the source said. The planned talks come as Washington continues diplomatic contacts with both Moscow and Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump have already met in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. At the same time, Ukraine has put a broader ceasefire proposal on the table. Kyiv unveiled an unconditional ceasefire proposal on Sept. 23, backed by 50 countries in a joint statement. Other Topics of Interest ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 23, 2026 War in Ukraine - Latest update, key takeaways and map from the Institute for the Study of War on September 23, 2026. The proposal puts the focus squarely on Moscow’s response. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has already ruled out a ceasefire during peace talks. The key question now is how Moscow will respond to an unconditional ceasefire proposal as a whole – and whether it will address the proposal during renewed contacts with US officials. Moscow has previously said it wants to resume three-way talks on Ukraine involving the United States, but there has so far been no progress toward restarting the format. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has also said Moscow expects another trilateral meeting, while Lavrov previously described the US approach to the peace process as a “positive signal.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sept. 23, after meeting Lavrov, that both Russia and Ukraine had expressed interest in a limited ceasefire covering grain and energy infrastructure. Rubio also said he hoped Putin would accept an invitation to attend the G20 summit in the United States. Dmitriev, a US-educated investment banker who previously worked at Goldman Sachs and McKinsey, has emerged as one of Moscow’s key interlocutors with Washington. He has held several rounds of talks with Witkoff and Kushner, including negotiations over a US sanctions waiver for seaborne Russian oil and prisoner exchanges between Russia and the United States. The New York meetings will provide another channel for direct US-Russia discussions as Washington seeks to keep diplomatic efforts over Russia’s war against Ukraine moving. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.