Trump is considering lifting sanctions on Russia's sovereign wealth fund The Trump administration is considering lifting sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), headed by Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's special envoy for international economic cooperation, the New York Times reports. According to the newspaper, Russian officials pushed for the move during talks about the funds' role in shipping Russian diesel to the US. The fund helped arrange the first shipments after Trump suspended sanctions on Russian diesel on October 9 following a phone call with Putin. A US official told the newspaper that the removal request is being reviewed under standard procedures, as part of efforts to improve US-Russian relations and help end the war. The official praised Dmitriev as a valuable emissary for the American negotiations. The US Treasury said the fund has already received the licenses it needs for diesel deals. Complete removal from the list of sanctions will require the fund to prove that the original reasons for the sanctions no longer apply. The Biden administration approved RDIF shortly after the 2022 US start, labeling it a chase fund. Dmitriev called the diesel deal a starting point for broader economic cooperation, and previously said the Finance Ministry had asked his fund to help resolve payment issues related to the deal.