Russia Urges US to Expand Cooperation Before Ukraine Conflict Ends

Russia has proposed active cooperation with the United States even before the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, as reported by TASS.

According to Peskov, Moscow and Washington continue their work within the framework of a bilateral group on trade and economic cooperation. He added that the American side links the development of interaction in this area to the conclusion of the Ukrainian conflict.

“We believe that it is not at all necessary to wait for a settlement in Ukraine,” the Kremlin’s official representative emphasized.

High-Level Russia-USA Contacts Continue

At the same time, Russian President’s special representative Kirill Dmitriev is currently in the United States, Reuters reported, citing sources. According to the agency, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund is participating in negotiations with representatives of the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Sources told Reuters that the parties are discussing both a potential peace agreement on Ukraine and economic cooperation between Russia and the United States.

The agency notes that Dmitriev arrived in the US on the eve of the expiration of a license issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury. The license allows Russia to sell oil and petroleum products loaded onto vessels before March 12. The document remains valid until April 11. The question of extending the license may also be on the agenda, according to Reuters.

Kremlin Clarifies Dmitriev’s Role

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that the presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries is focused on economic dialogue with the United States rather than negotiations on Ukraine.

“Dmitriev is engaged in issues of economic cooperation, including within the framework of the Russian-American group on economic cooperation. Kirill Dmitriev is not involved in the topic of negotiations on Ukraine,” Peskov said during a briefing.

Peskov emphasized that work within the mentioned group is ongoing, even as the United States continues to link economic cooperation to the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

“We believe that it is not at all necessary to wait for a settlement in Ukraine,” he reiterated.

According to the Kremlin spokesman, Moscow and Washington could already be engaging in mutually beneficial projects.

“There could already be many mutually beneficial projects on the agenda,” Peskov added.