MOSCOW, March 12 - Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on Thursday that he had addressed the ongoing energy disruption with his U.S. counterparts as part of a session of the U.S.-Russia working group on the economy held in Florida.
Dmitriev highlighted that nearly 20 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil - roughly a fifth of global output - remain trapped inside the Gulf since the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which followed the launch of the joint Israel-U.S. war against Iran on February 28.
In remarks posted on his Telegram channel, Dmitriev said: "Today, many countries, primarily the United States, are beginning to better understand the key, systemic role of Russian oil and gas in ensuring the stability of the global economy, as well as the inefficiency and destructive nature of sanctions against Russia."
He added that, acting on instructions from President Vladimir Putin, he held meetings in the United States with the heads of the working group on economic cooperation between Russia and the United States.
"We discussed both promising projects that can contribute to the restoration of Russian-American relations, as well as the current crisis situation in global energy markets," Dmitriev said, describing the scope of the conversations he led.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff described the meeting in briefer terms, saying the teams covered a "variety of topics" and had agreed to remain in contact going forward.
Other attendees at the Florida meetings included Jared Kushner, who is U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and White House adviser Josh Gruenbaum.
The meetings combined discussion of immediate disruptions in oil flows with dialogue on potential economic projects between the two countries. Participants signalled a willingness to keep communication channels open following the session.