Special envoy of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, Kirill Dmitriev, will attend an event at the White House organized by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday, November 5, and will also meet with representatives of the U.S. administration. Reuters reports this, citing two sources familiar with his plans, writes UNN.
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The visit will be the first in-person contact between Russian and American officials since the midterm elections, in which Democrats secured control of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, dealing a blow to U.S. President Donald Trump.
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The Democratic majority in Congress is expected to push for increased aid to Ukraine beginning in January and challenge several decisions by Republican Trump’s administration, such as the deal with Russia on diesel fuel and the easing of some sanctions.
The Kremlin said it hopes Trump will continue his peace efforts despite the Republican Party’s defeat.
The Kremlin added that preparations are underway for a meeting between Putin, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on November 18-19 in Shenzhen, China.
Dmitriev’s visit precedes a trilateral meeting of American, Russian and Ukrainian officials in Abu Dhabi on November 10, at which American negotiators will seek progress toward ending the war, which is approaching the five-year mark, the publication indicates.
The White House said that Melania Trump will make a statement regarding a six-day local ceasefire around the city of Oleshky, occupied by the Russian Federation, in which she helped mediate.
Dmitriev previously met with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House in 2025. Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, did not invite any Russian officials to the White House.
One person familiar with Dmitriev’s plans said that the humanitarian track in his contacts in the United States and his engagement with Melania Trump’s team had become an important area of negotiations alongside the economy and business deals.
"Dmitriev was involved in facilitating the release of Americans held in Russia, the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families, and the humanitarian operation in Oleshky. The source said that Russia and the United States have a mutual interest in continuing these humanitarian efforts," the publication states.