Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), has called for joint United States-Moscow projects in the Arctic. Signaling that Russia is ready for economic cooperation with the U.S. instead of war is a small step toward peace.

Dmitriev is also a member of the Russian delegation that flew to the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Tuesday for talks with U.S. diplomats, according to a report by RT. Moscow and Washington seek to restore bilateral ties and pave the way for a settlement of the Ukraine conflict. 

The talks, which were proposed following last week’s phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, “make it possible to tell the truth,” Dmitriev said. He stressed that the administration of Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, “provided a lot of disinformation, a lot of wrong messages” about the state of the Russian economy.

“We need to pursue joint projects, including, for example, in the Arctic and other areas,” Dmitriev told journalists. Dmitriev revealed that the Russian side made several proposals along economic and investment lines, which the US team took time to think about. He expressed hope for progress on the issue within several months.

While Trump has decreased the war-mongering rhetoric with regard to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he has increased it in other aspects, claiming he would take Greenland and the Panama Canal by force if necessary. He has also threatened to take over the Gaza Strip, an idea Israel is in full support of.

Trump Will Not “Rule Out” Military Action To Take Greenland By Force

Last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Moscow suspended annual payments to the council until the resumption of real work with the participation of all member countries. The ministry noted that Russia was not planning to leave the organization. –RT