CNN: Epstein tried to establish contacts with Russian officials, including Putin

Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier convicted of sexual crimes, wanted to get closer to Russian officials, including the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. This was reported by the TV company CNN with a link to declassified files.

According to media reports, Epstein regularly met in New York with Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin. He even offered to help his son get a job at an asset management firm.

After Churkin's death, Epstein wanted to talk to the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. In June 2018, the financier sent an email to Norwegian politician Thorbjørn Jagland, then Secretary General of the Council of Europe: "I think you could suggest to Putin that Lavrov get information on how to talk to me. Vitaly Churkin used to (talk) to me, but he died."

Jagland replied that he would meet with Lavrov's aide next Monday and propose this.

Epstein replied: "Churkin was great. He understood Trump after [our] conversations. It's simple. You have to show that he understands something, and that's it."

While Epstein's interest in finding models from Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe was already known, the latest release of documents on the financier provides new insight into his attempts to get closer to high-ranking Russian officials, including Putin, whom Epstein repeatedly tried to meet or speak with.

Analysts have warned CNN that the documents show nothing more than that Epstein was trying to get along with influential figures and position himself as a kind of geopolitical player. The documents do not indicate whether the financier ever managed to contact the Russian dictator.

The article states that on May 9, 2013, Epstein wrote to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak that Jagland was "going to meet Putin in Sochi" on May 20 and that Jagland asked if the financier could meet with the Russian dictator "to explain how Russia can structure deals to encourage Western investment."

"I never met him, I wanted you to know," Epstein added in his email to Barak.

on May 14, 2013, Jagland wrote to Epstein that he planned to convey a message to Putin that the financier could be useful.

"I have a friend who can help you take the necessary steps (and then introduce you) and ask if he would be interested in meeting you," the letter reads.

However, in another email to Barack dated May 21, 2013, Epstein claimed, without evidence, that he had turned down Putin's request for a meeting during an economic conference in St. Petersburg. Epstein said that if the Russian dictator wanted to meet with him, he "needs to set aside time and privacy."

The journalists clarified that it was unclear whether Putin had actually asked for a meeting with the financier.

In an email dated July 14, 2014, addressed to Epstein, there is speculation that he had scheduled a meeting with Putin and invited LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman to join. Joy Ito, then director of MIT's Media Lab, wrote to Epstein: "I was not able to convince Reid to change his schedule to go to the meeting with Putin with you."

Some of Epstein's contacts with the Russians took place at a difficult time for US-Russian relations, after the US intelligence community accused Moscow of interfering in the 2016 presidential election.

The media outlet reminded that the Norwegian prosecutor's office had already launched an investigation into Jagland after the publication of the Epstein files. According to his lawyer, the politician will cooperate with the investigation, but denies breaking the law.

The documents show that Epstein had a close relationship with at least one Russian with ties to the Russian Federal Security Service. In a 2015 letter to billionaire Peter Thiel, Epstein called Sergei Belyakov, who, according to TASS, graduated from the FSB Academy in Moscow in 1999, "my very good friend."

In 2016, during the correspondence between Belyakov and Epstein, the Russian wrote that he had taken a position at the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and that he was seeking to attract investment in Russian projects.

"I will do everything that will be useful to you," Epstein wrote to Belyakov in another email later that week.

• January 30, 2026 US Department of Justice published a new and final version of the a package of materials containing documents, thousands of photos and videos related to the case of the sex offender Epstein.
• On February 2, former British Ambassador to the United States Mandelson announced its withdrawal from the Labor Party after documents about his ties to Epstein were made public.
• Tusk announced the creation of a special of the analytical group to investigate possible ties between Poles and Epstein.