This is CBSI on the world.

I'm John Batchew with Anatole Levin, my colleague at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

The headline in the New York Times introduces the mystery.

Kremlin Envoy says he's in the U.S. for talks with the Trump administration.

Kirol Demetraev wrote on social media that his meetings were about restoring a U.S. for talks with the Trump administration, Kirold Demetraev, wrote on social media that his

meetings were about restoring a U.S. Russian dialogue that was, quote, completely destroyed under

the Biden administration. I'm surprised, Anatole, and yet this does return to a remark that

Mr. Trump made initially about his expectation of talking to Mr. Putin was that he was interested in peace in Ukraine, but he used the term denuking.

So are they going for strategic meetings here? What is the intention of all of a sudden not a count, not negotiation in Riyadh, but direct

talks in the White House? Well, yes. I mean, I think that what the both sides are hoping for

is that by achieving a new relationship between Washington and Moscow,

you can to some extent put the specific issues in Ukraine, not to one side,

but Russians have always said to me that if we can get what we want in terms of a new relationship with the US,

then we will be prepared to give up our maximalist demands vis-à-vis Ukraine.

The other thing, though, is that the man who Putin has sent, Kirill Demetriov, is basically

his investment chief.

He's not actually a diplomat.

He's a businessman and economist.

And I think it's clear that Putin is hoping to, well, okay, let's say bribe Trump, you know, because he knows he's so, you know, fixated on access to minerals and profits, of course, by offering access to Russia's huge mineral reserves as an incentive, you know, to compromise with Russia over Ukraine. But of course, the problem is that there is now a third, well,

obviously there's Ukraine itself, but there is also Europe, which, while deeply divided,

is also an essential player because there are things that the Europeans will have to agree

to as part of any peace settlement concerning sanctions, you know, seized Russian assets,

...