Russia wants to make deals with the US to end the war on its own terms.

Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president’s special representative for foreign economic cooperation, has targeted President Donald Trump and his ally Elon Musk to persuade them to engage in agreements with Russia to conclude the war in Ukraine on terms favorable to the Kremlin. According to Bloomberg, it was Dmitriev who convinced Putin to establish business ties with Trump.

“The Kremlin saw an opportunity for such talks after Trump began demanding access to Ukraine’s mineral resources,” the publication learned.

Political analysts believe that Russia is looking for ways to leverage Trump’s “pragmatism” and explore whether a commercial approach with him and his allies will be effective. Putin himself has also intensified efforts that are aligned with this strategy by offering the US the chance to mine rare earth metals in Russia.

Dmitriev, in turn, stated to reporters that the US and Russia are considering joint projects in the Arctic and other regions. Currently, Russia is competing with an agreement to develop natural resources jointly that Ukraine is set to finalize with the US on February 28 at the White House.