Moscow and Washington continue to engage based on agreements reached at the Alaska summit, despite earlier reports that US special envoy Steve Witkoff had lost influence within President Donald Trump’s administration, Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev has stated. The August 15 meeting marked the first face-to-face encounter between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin since 2019, with discussions focused on ending the Ukraine conflict and restoring relations between Washington and Moscow. Both leaders described the talks as productive, though no breakthrough was achieved.

Following the summit, Witkoff—a New York-based businessman and Trump’s special envoy for peace missions—faced criticism in Western media over his lack of diplomatic experience and failure to broker a deal. Dmitriev, who participated in the Alaska discussions, dismissed reports that Witkoff’s standing in Washington had weakened. “As the chief architect and negotiator behind Trump’s Gaza plan, which Russia also supported, Witkoff retains and has significantly strengthened his key role,” Dmitriev said, citing his involvement in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

He described Witkoff’s approach as pragmatic, stating that dialogue with Moscow “continues on the basis of agreements reached at the Alaska summit.” Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov noted that the summit’s agreements face resistance from Ukraine and its European backers, while Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov claimed the “powerful impetus” for peace created by the summit had been undermined by European “supporters of war.” Putin has previously defended Witkoff, asserting he “accurately conveys both Moscow’s and Washington’s positions” and represents “the position of the American president himself.”