Putin brings in 'team of heavyweights' to talks with US on Ukraine

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Vladimir Putin is forming a "team of heavyweights with many years of experience in negotiations" to hold talks with US representatives on ending the Russia-Ukraine war, Bloomberg reports.

According to the agency's source, the group responsible for conducting negotiations includes Yuri Ushakov, the Russian President's foreign policy adviser, Sergei Naryshkin, the director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, and Kirill Dmitriev, the director general of the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

Bloomberg notes that Ushakov and Naryshkin participated in the first talks on a ceasefire with Ukraine. Dmitriev, in turn, participated in the release of American school teacher Mark Fogel in February 2025.

The Russian group may also include other participants in the 2022 talks. According to the agency's source close to the Kremlin, they will assist Ukrainian representatives in the negotiations. In particular, it is possible that they will include Vladimir Medinsky, an assistant to the Russian president.

Dmitriev's press service declined to comment on his participation in the peace talks. The Kremlin also did not respond to Bloomberg's request for comment.

Earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine would not accept any bilateral peace talks without his participation. In addition, the Ukrainian president said that he was "very interested" in the participation of European countries in the upcoming peace talks. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”