Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev mocked New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration speech after the city’s new leader said his administration would replace “rugged individualism” with “collectivism.” Dmitriev called the mayor “comrade,” a form of address associated with communism—an ideology Dmitriev’s country embraced for decades as part of the Soviet Union.
Newsweek has reached out to City Hall for comment via email on Friday.
Why It Matters
On January 1, Mamdani took the oath of office in New York City. He said he will govern as a democratic socialist, and in his inaugural speech he promised to freeze rents, expand public child care and invest in transit.
Dmitriev, also head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, has been engaged in a series of talks between the U.S. and Russia regarding a peace deal with Ukraine. In December, he greeted an envoy for U.S. President Donald Trump on the matter, and later arrived in Miami for additional talks.
What To Know
In his inaugural speech, Mamdani said, “I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist,” adding, “I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed ‘radical.’”…