Dmitriev, Witkoff, and Trump: Moscow-backed push behind $300 billion bargain

The author of the Resurgram Telegram channel discussed the issue.

Dmitriev, the head of the Moscow Direct Investment Fund, who unofficially led the Moscow delegation to Saudi Arabia, seems to have been on the government plane to Washington just before Witkoff’s Moscow visit. Dmitriev holds key business ties in New York and Saudi Arabia and is connected to Thiel and Witkoff. “It seems Dmitriev was the one who proposed the idea of Trump demanding “compensation for 300 billion from Ukraine,” citing losses allegedly incurred by the U.S. when it withdrew from the Moscow market—misrepresenting the original discussions between the US and Ukraine,” the author suggests.

Dmitriev himself confirmed to Moscow's Interfax that he passed on information about U.S. losses in the Moscow market due to sanctions in order to support Ukraine. This is part of the familiar Moscow narrative: “The West is suffering more than Moscow from sanctions,” a narrative Witkoff absorbed from Dmitriev and is now feeding into Trump’s ear.

As of yesterday, Dmitriev has been appointed Putin’s special representative for economic and investment issues in dealings with Western countries. “The goal of this appointment is to lift sanctions and reintroduce Western business to Russia. Thus, the communication chain looks like this: Putin — Dmitriev — Witkoff — Trump,” the author believes.

What this 300 billion is equivalent to?

“That’s right—these are the frozen Moscow assets, mostly located in Europe, and neither the U.S. nor Moscow has direct access to them. Moscow plans to use these to seek concessions. The latest reports about these 300 billion claim that Moscow is willing to relinquish them to restore Ukraine and its occupied territories. This development hinders Europe’s efforts to use frozen assets for additional military support for Ukraine,” the author highlights.

What is Witkoff’s role in all this?

“He is helping to legitimize the idea that ‘concessions will be made on both sides.’ He suggested that ‘someone will have to give up territorially, and someone will have to give up economically,’” says Resurgam.

In this context, “territorially” refers to Ukraine, while “economically” refers to the 300 billion in frozen assets that Moscow supposedly intends to relinquish. “But in reality, both territories and financial resources are being extracted from Ukraine, with neither the U.S. nor Moscow making actual concessions,” the author concludes.

“This situation shows how the U.S. is trying to extract the equivalent of 300 billion from Ukraine through a treaty presented by Moscow’s financiers, via Witkoff. This is a distortion of the original proposal by Lindsey Graham, which now seems like the U.S. is offering Europe a ‘check for its expenses’ related to frozen assets. But in truth, the U.S. is attempting to shift the entire burden onto Ukraine. In the end, Ukraine will have to concede to the U.S. (financially) and to Moscow (territorially),” the author continues

The discussion of rare earths from Moscow to the U.S. is an example of pressure on Ukraine: “Buy now, before it’s too late, because Moscow will pay later.”

“As long as Moscow has ties with China, no one will allow the U.S. access to these resources,” add the author. This idea was first introduced by Witkoff and sparked Trump’s interest, with a strong likelihood that Putin, through Dmitriev, provided a prior agreement for this.

Yesterday, Witkoff began legitimizing the idea that “Moscow is the provoked party.”

Once Witkoff secures a deal, determining who will bear the cost for the U.S. to present it as a “victory,” he and Dmitriev will move on to the territorial phase.

Meanwhile, Trump is publicly stating that he sees this deal as a reimbursement, not an investment in Ukraine. This gives a clear answer about the supposed investment in Ukraine.