According to Bloomberg, the list of Russian negotiators already includes Yuri Ushakov, Russia’s chief foreign policy advisor, and Sergei Naryshkin, director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. Another member of the Russian negotiating team is financier Kirill Dmitriev, who has managed the Russian sovereign wealth fund since 2011. He could play a key role as an unofficial channel of communication with Trump’s negotiators, owing to his extensive business ties to the US.
“The choice of personnel highlights how determined the Russian leader is to ensure a favorable outcome from any negotiations and how little his demands for Ukraine have changed in the three years since he ordered the full-scale invasion,” analysts commented.
The Trump team, unlike Russia’s representatives, “does not possess the same depth of knowledge about Ukraine.” Additionally, current White House officials have limited experience in direct communication with Russia, which could pose a serious obstacle at the negotiating table.