Trump receives Putin's envoy and talks up a big Ukraine deal
Dmitriev spoke at a Melania Trump event on Oleshky, and the president says a deal would cover more than Ukraine. He did not see the Ukrainians.
Donald Trump received Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin's special envoy, at the White House on Thursday and told reporters afterward that a deal on Ukraine is near. There will be "a big agreement," he said, one that "will involve more than Ukraine." At another point he said it could include "all of Europe."
Dmitriev, who runs Russia's sovereign wealth fund, had earlier spoken at an event hosted by first lady Melania Trump on the Oleshky truce. The Russian-occupied Ukrainian city had a local ceasefire from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1, and almost 800 people left it.
David Arakhamia, leader of the governing party's caucus in Ukraine's parliament, and Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights commissioner, also spoke at the event. Trump said he did not meet that delegation.
There are no details on the meeting with Dmitriev. Neither Trump nor the White House said what they discussed.
The meeting comes as attacks on energy infrastructure continue. Russia's Defense Ministry said it hit a 330 kV electrical substation in Dnipropetrovsk on Nov. 5, while Ukraine attacked a refinery in Ryazan, inside Russia.
Envoys of Trump, including Jared Kushner, were in Brussels this week with NATO and Ukrainian officials. Russia, Ukraine and the United States have talks planned in Abu Dhabi next week.
