Karina Bovsunovskaya21:08, 19.02.25

The Kremlin also sought the return of two dachas in New York and Maryland from the United States.

During the talks in Riyadh, Russia asked the United States to unblock frozen state assets and ease sanctions imposed on it, The Moscow Times reported , citing a diplomatic source.

The source noted that Russia is seeking to restore access to funds that were frozen in the United States. This concerns part of the reserves of the Russian Central Bank, namely $6 billion, which was invested in dollar assets before the start of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to sources of The Moscow Times, the Russian delegation also came to Saudi Arabia to demand the resumption of diplomatic missions and the return of Russian diplomatic property to the United States. In addition, the Kremlin is seeking the return of two dachas in New York and Maryland that the Obama administration seized in 2016 over accusations of their use for intelligence purposes.

“For Putin, this issue is not just symbolic – he sees it as part of restoring Russia’s status in relations with the United States,” the source added.

The Moscow Times’ interlocutor also emphasized that the Russian dictator instructed the Russian delegation to show “the most benevolent and, in some ways, even complimentary attitude toward their American colleagues and President Donald Trump personally” in order to obtain maximum benefit.

“Putin wants to secure Ukraine’s neutral status, a change of power in Kyiv, a reduction in the Ukrainian army and recognition of the annexation of Crimea and four occupied regions,” the publication noted.

(C)UNIAN 2025