Russian President Vladimir Putin extended an invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit Moscow during their recent phone call, as confirmed by the Kremlin. Putin expressed his willingness to host American officials and echoed Trump's sentiments about the importance of collaboration between the two nations. The call also touched upon Trump's desire to resolve the conflict in Ukraine promptly.
The last US president to visit Russia was Barack Obama, who attended the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg back in 2013. In a recent development, United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, reportedly had a private meeting with Putin during his visit to Moscow. Witkoff declined to provide details about the meeting, deferring any comments to the president.
During the meeting, Putin granted a pardon to Marc Fogel, an American prisoner, with his direct involvement in the release process. Witkoff mentioned meeting with a person named Kirill in Russia, believed to be Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and a close associate of Putin. Both Dmitriev and the Russian Direct Investment Fund are currently subject to US sanctions.
