Russia recognizes significant opportunities for collaboration with the United States, particularly in the space sector, and anticipates upcoming discussions with Elon Musk regarding potential missions to Mars, according to Kirill Dmitriev, President Vladimir Putin’s envoy for international cooperation, who spoke on Tuesday.
Dmitriev, appointed by Putin last month as the special envoy for international economic and investment collaboration, asserted that Russia’s adversaries are attempting to undermine U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiatives to re-establish communication with Russia.
On the same day, Trump was scheduled to engage in talks with Putin, aiming to persuade the Russian leader to agree to a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine and to work towards a lasting resolution to the three-year war.
See more: India asks US to list Sikh group as terrorist organisation, Indian source says
Dmitriev expressed Russia’s interest in partnering with SpaceX CEO Musk as part of efforts to enhance and advance the capabilities of Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, and the state nuclear corporation, Rosatom.
“I am confident that a conversation with Musk regarding Mars missions will take place soon,” Dmitriev stated at a business forum in Moscow, commending Musk for his role in expanding the frontiers of human achievement.
He mentioned that he is in communication with Roscosmos, Russian businesses, and the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia.
Musk, a billionaire entrepreneur, was one of Trump’s major contributors in the 2024 election and has emerged as one of the president’s closest advisors in the White House.
In 2022, Russia announced plans to initiate its own Mars mission following the European Space Agency’s (ESA) suspension of a joint project due to Putin’s decision to deploy a large number of troops to Ukraine.
