MOSCOW, January 12. /TASS/. Russia prefers direct dialogue with the United States to any kind of "megaphone" diplomacy, a Russian expert told TASS, commenting on meetings between Russian presidential special envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev and US officials.
Earlier reports stated that Dmitriev had met with US special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Paris.
"These meetings indicate that contacts continue, the working process goes on. Russia doesn’t believe in ‘megaphone’ diplomacy, thinking that diplomacy in the traditional sense is enough. And this requires talks in various locations where it is logistically convenient and so on," said Andrey Bystritsky, Chairman of the Foundation for the Development and Support of the Valdai International Discussion Club.
He sees the very fact that contacts between Moscow and Washington continue even amid the recent global developments as a positive.
Moreover, in his words, along with the Ukrainian settlement, the sides could also discuss bilateral relations between Russia and the United States. "I think that one of the most important topics on the agenda is the improvement of relations between Russia and the United States in the context of various ongoing global developments. Second, of course, is the issue of resolving the Ukrainian conflict, since talks continue, with more topics for discussion surfacing. As the United States is playing the role of key broker in this story, Washington, unlike Europe, stresses that it holds a neutral position and wants the conflict to end as soon as possible, so, we need to continue to consult with them," Bystritsky argued.
"Definitely, there are prospects for dialogue with the United States and the Russian foreign ministry has been emphasizing this. But this is a difficult process, which requires both efforts, time and serious negotiations," he added.