Putin Envoy Accused of Spreading Disinformation During US Visit

The Trump administration has decisively rejected a high-stakes lobbying effort by Kirill Dmitriev, a key Kremlin financier, who traveled to Washington in an attempt to dismantle recently imposed U.S. oil sanctions against Russia. The visit, reportedly ordered directly by President Vladimir Putin, collapsed amid market realities and Dmitriev’s public denial of documented war crimes.

Russian oil giants have felt the immediate economic impact of the sanctions. Lukoil and Rosneft have lost a combined $11.5 billion in market value since the measures were implemented. On Monday alone, Rosneft shares fell 5.6% to their lowest level since March 2023, while Lukoil plunged an additional 6.5%.

Dmitriev, who heads Russia’s Direct Investment Fund and previously served as an unofficial backchannel between Moscow and Washington, attempted a charm offensive targeting Trump administration officials and U.S. media outlets. Despite his diplomatic history and concerted efforts, his mission proved unsuccessful.

The most pointed rebuff came from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who bluntly labeled Dmitriev a “Russian propagandist,” signaling the administration’s unwillingness to negotiate on the sanctions package.

The situation deteriorated beyond a failed sanctions negotiation when Dmitriev used his media access to spread misinformation on American television networks. The U.S. government had temporarily waived sanctions against Dmitriev to facilitate potential peace negotiations. Instead, he leveraged this opportunity to push Kremlin narratives to American audiences.

During appearances on major networks including CNN and Fox News, Dmitriev was confronted with evidence of Russia’s systematic attacks on civilian infrastructure. He repeatedly denied Russian responsibility, insisting that “the position of the Russian military is that they only hit military targets.”

When specifically questioned about a recent Russian drone strike on a kindergarten in Kharkiv where children were sheltering, Dmitriev claimed Russia “does not target kindergartens” and suggested any such incident must have been an “accident.” He deflected further questions by stating, “I’m not a military guy.”

Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of the non-profit Hope for Ukraine, characterized Dmitriev’s media appearances as emblematic of “Russia’s information warfare strategy,” telling Kyiv Post that Dmitriev was “leveraging the credibility of US news platforms to whitewash documented war crimes.”

Boyechko called for revoking the sanctions waiver that permitted Dmitriev’s visit, arguing that allowing a sanctioned individual to deny attacks on children while seeking political concessions presented an “irrefutable” case for rescinding such diplomatic access.

In a peculiar final act following his failed mission, Dmitriev took to social media during his return flight to Moscow, commenting not on the sanctions or his diplomatic efforts but on British politics. His post featured a mix of alt-right talking points about immigration, “grooming gangs,” and digital ID concerns, while criticizing British Prime Minister Starmer as “the most unpopular PM in UK history.”

This strange pivot away from his diplomatic failure underscored how completely his mission had unraveled. Dmitriev arrived in Washington with Putin’s mandate to ease economic pressure on Russia but departed having reinforced the administration’s resolve, witnessed Russian market values plummet, and used his media platform to deny war crimes in a manner that damaged rather than enhanced his credibility.

The decisive rejection of the Kremlin’s envoy sends a clear message that Washington remains committed to its economic pressure campaign against Russia, with the sanctions firmly in place despite Moscow’s diplomatic overtures.