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Ivan Timofeev
Director of Programs at the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC)
Russian Foreign Policy Analyst; Trump-Russia Contact
Overview
Ivan Timofeev is a Russian political scientist and the Director of Programs at the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC); a Kremlin-affiliated think tank that operates under the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and serves as a track-two diplomatic channel. Timofeev became a figure of interest in the Trump-Russia investigation when it was revealed that George Papadopoulos; a Trump campaign foreign policy advisor; communicated with Timofeev in 2016 while seeking to arrange a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Timofeev connected Papadopoulos with other Russian contacts; including Ivan Polonskiy of the Russian MFA; and helped facilitate discussions about potential Trump-Putin summits. The Mueller investigation documented these communications extensively; noting that Timofeev served as a critical intermediary between the Trump campaign and Russian government-linked officials during the 2016 election cycle.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
Communicated with Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos throughout 2016 about arranging Trump-Putin meetings
Connected Papadopoulos with Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials
RIAC operates under Russian government oversight; raising questions about whether Timofeev acted as unofficial government channel
Mueller Report documented his role as intermediary between Trump campaign and Russian officials
Facilitated track-two diplomacy discussions that became part of federal criminal investigation
Related Investigations (1)
Known Associates & Connections
George Papadopoulos
Trump campaign advisor who communicated with Timofeev about Russia meetings
Joseph Mifsud
Maltese professor who separately told Papadopoulos about Russian dirt on Clinton
Sources & Documentation
2 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
Personal Information
- Born
- Unknown
- Birthplace
- Russia
Education
- •Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO)
Key Timeline
March 2016
George Papadopoulos begins email exchanges with Timofeev about Trump-Russia meeting
April 2016
Timofeev connects Papadopoulos with additional Russian government-linked contacts
May 2016
Discussions about potential Trump-Putin summit continue through Timofeev channel
2017
Mueller investigation obtains Papadopoulos-Timofeev communications
April 2019
Mueller Report published; documenting Timofeev as key intermediary