Kirill Dmitriev Compares EU Energy Policy to Samurai Seppuku

Kirill Dmitriev, the special envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, has likened the European Union’s refusal to ease sanctions on Russian energy to the medieval Japanese practice of seppuku (also known as harakiri), a ritual suicide by disembowelment.

Dmitriev made the comparison on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating that “European bureaucrats want to continue the EU’s energy seppuku and oppose the decision already taken by the US to temporarily ease sanctions against Russia in the energy sector in order to stabilize the market.” He further suggested that the EU should “admit its strategic energy mistake – the rejection of Russian energy – and atone for its guilt.”

He asserted that exiting the current energy crisis without access to Russian energy resources is impossible.

This statement follows a recent decision by the U.S. Treasury Department to lift sanctions on the sale of Russian oil and oil products loaded on ships until March 12, as reported by TASS.

Background on Kirill Dmitriev

Kirill Alexandrovich Dmitriev was born in 1975 in Kiev, Ukrainian SSR. He currently serves as the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), a sovereign wealth fund established by the Russian government. [1] He was appointed as the Special Presidential Envoy on Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation on February 23, 2025. [8] Dmitriev has close ties to Vladimir Putin and was involved in negotiations with the Donald Trump administration regarding the Russo-Ukrainian war. [13]

Both Dmitriev and the RDIF were sanctioned by the United States Treasury in February 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the Office of Foreign Assets Control labeling the RDIF as a “slush fund” for Putin and emblematic of Russia’s “kleptocracy.” [4]

Recent Diplomatic Role

Dmitriev has been a key figure in Russia’s diplomatic efforts, particularly in seeking to re-establish relations with the United States. [2] He has been involved in negotiations and discussions regarding potential peace plans for Ukraine. [3]

Sources:

• Kirill Dmitriev – Wikipedia
• Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev: Putin propagandist or key to peace – BBC
• Putin envoy Dmitriev says US, Ukraine and Russia close to ‘diplomatic