A Russian envoy reported a “productive meeting” with U.S. negotiators on Wednesday, March 11th—marking the first talks between Moscow and Washington since the escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
The discussions, held in Florida, involved U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and White House Senior Advisor Josh Gruenbaum. Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s negotiator, thanked the U.S. team in a post on X, noting that the discussions covered a range of topics and that the teams agreed to maintain contact.
Dmitriev added on Telegram that
many countries, primarily the United States, are beginning to better understand the key, systemic role of Russian oil and gas in ensuring the stability of the global economy.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday to discuss measures to increase pressure on Russia, including targeting the so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers used to transport oil and other products in breach of sanctions.
Zelensky is expected to travel to Spain in the coming days.
The United States recently indicated it would lift some oil sanctions to stabilize global energy prices, though it is unclear if this includes Russian exports. The United States has proposed new trilateral U.S.-Russia-Ukraine talks be held next week. According to Zelensky, the talks could be held in Switzerland or Turkey.
