Russian envoy to visit US, Ukraine calls on Washington to increase sanctions

Washington [US], April 2: CNN on April 1 quoted three sources revealing that a Russian official is expected to travel to Washington DC this week to negotiate with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
The Russian official, Kirill Dmitriev, will meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss strengthening relations between the two countries as the two sides seek to end the Russia- Ukraine conflict that has lasted more than three years, according to CNN.
Mr. Dmitriev, director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, was appointed last month as Russia's special envoy for international economic and investment cooperation, according to Reuters.
The White House and the State Department did not immediately comment. The Russian Embassy in Washington and the Russian Direct Investment Fund did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Dmitriev's impending visit to Washington, DC.
If it takes place, Mr. Dmitriev's trip would be the first by a senior Russian official to Washington DC for negotiations since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, according to Reuters.
Last month, Mr. Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for several hours in Moscow, and told the US media that the discussions on paving the way toward ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict were constructive and solution-oriented.
The news of Mr Dmitriev's visit to the US comes as both Ukraine and Russia have complained to the US about attacks on each other's energy sites on April 1. Each side has accused the other of breaking a supposed ceasefire on energy sites, although a formal agreement has yet to be reached and the commitments each side has made remain unclear, according to AFP.
After separate meetings with US officials, the White House confirmed that both Ukraine and Russia had agreed to develop measures to implement an "agreement prohibiting attacks on Russian and Ukrainian energy facilities".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 1 that Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov had been in contact with US officials. "We have passed on all the necessary information about Russia's violations in the energy sector," Zelensky said in a video address every night.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Zelensky called on Washington to increase sanctions against Russia over accusations that Russia violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement on Ukrainian energy sites.
"I believe that we have reached the point of increasing the impact of sanctions, because I believe that Russia is violating what it promised the United States. At least what the United States told us and publicly," Zelensky said at a news conference in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
"And we very much hope that President Trump has all the right tools to increase sanctions pressure on the Russian side," Mr. Zelensky stressed. He affirmed that Ukraine was still "ready" for an unconditional ceasefire with Russia.
In Moscow, President Putin had earlier discussed the alleged Ukrainian "violations" at a meeting of senior security officials on April 1. Moscow also said it had forwarded its complaint to Washington, according to AFP.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper