Rodney Mims Cook Jr. conducted secret diplomatic mission to Russia

Rodney Mims Cook Jr., the fine-arts chief appointed by President Donald Trump, conducted a secret diplomatic mission to St. Petersburg, Russia, this summer. While the trip was ostensibly for a cultural visit and to attend an economic forum described as the “Russian Davos,” reports indicate the mission was intended to persuade Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

Cook traveled with a diplomatic passport and received official briefings prior to the trip. During the forum, he reportedly met with Kremlin representatives, including senior Putin advisor Anton Kobjakov, and delivered a message stating, “Good hello from your friend, President Trump. We have a lot of ideas to talk about between our two capital cities in the next week.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated he was unaware of the delegation or the covert mission at the time of the visit. Cook has declined to comment on the specific details of his discussions with Russian officials but noted that there are “many requests” regarding potential future trips.