Kirill Dmitriev, who runs Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, is expected to meet with Steve Witkoff, a key figure in efforts to secure an end to the war in Ukraine.

Russia is still counting on US President Donald Trump to deliver an acceptable peace deal in Ukraine, though it’s prepared to continue the war if talks fail, according to people in Moscow familiar with the matter.

WASHINGTON, April 1 (Reuters) – A key Kremlin negotiator is expected in Washington this week for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, two sources familiar with the plan said, the most senior Russian official to visit since Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022.

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev met with U.S. officials in Washington on Wednesday as the Trump administration continues to press Russia and Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said.

​Russian President Vladimir Putin is poised to visit India in the near future, marking his first trip to the South Asian nation since December 2021. According to a report by TASS, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed the upcoming visit while speaking at a Russia International Affairs Council(RIAC) forum. However, neither the Kremlin nor the Russian Foreign Ministry – including Lavrov – has announced any specific dates.

Let’s hope small steps develop into something lasting.

Why is Trump being so agreeable to Russia? And why is Putin so eager to end the war through peace dealings, contrary to people’s perception of him wanting to conquer Ukraine?

The much anticipated phone conversation between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin took place on Tuesday, as expected. There was quite a bit of propaganda flack flying about prior to the call… for example, the Ukrainians told the NY Times that Trump was going to concede Russia’s right to control Odessa. It was also rumored that Putin might relinquish control of the Zaporhyzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). That didn’t happen.

The much-heralded Trump-Putin call has not produced a breakthrough in the Ukraine peace process, but it may have advanced it. Russia’s agreement to a 30-day mutual halt to attacks on energy infrastructure is a sign that Putin wishes to negotiate peace (naturally, on terms acceptable to Russia), and is prepared to make a limited but significant concession in order to move the negotiations forward. Trump and Putin have also reportedly agreed on “immediate, technical-level meetings” to start drawing up the details of a comprehensive peace settlement.

The economies of Western Europe are being realigned onto a war footing, led by the utterly transformed European Union, whose leaders are now channelling an atavistic hereditary hatred of Russia.