Epstein files reveal paedophile financier’s desperate attempts to court Vladimir Putin

Emails with political figures show Epstein desperately trying to secure a meeting with Putin in the early 2010s, after his first conviction for procuring a child for prostitution.

Putin has been president since 2012, but served as prime minister for four years before that and has been the country’s de facto leader since 2000.

The updated files show how Epstein jostled friends to set up a meeting for him to discuss foreign investment in Russia from at least 2013 and until 2018, a year before Epstein died in prison. It is unclear whether they ever met.

Epstein sought a Russian visa

The Epstein library, now totalling some 3.5 million records, shows that Epstein tried to procure a Russian visa from at least 2010. He asked a contact: “do i need to get visa, ? I have a friend of putin,s [sic], should i ask him?”

A year later, in August 2011, he told Emirati businessman Ahmed bin Sulayem that “putin might come to the states”, adding that he would rather meet him there, “so sochi is unlikely”.

Over the years, the financier repeatedly discussed his hopes of meeting Putin with Thorbjorn Jagland, the former prime minister of Norway, who met with the Russian leader in his capacity as the secretary general of the Council of Europe.

Mr Jagland characterised Epstein’s interest in an email in May 2013, telling Epstein he would have to explain his proposals to Putin himself.

“You have to do it. My job is to get a meeting with him,” he said, adding: “Can I say this [to Putin]: I know that you want to attract foreign investment to diversify russian economy [...] I have a friend that can help you to take the necessary measures (and then present you) and ask wether it is interesting for him to meet with you.”

Epstein wanted meeting with Putin

That month, Epstein told Ehud Barak, the former Israeli prime minister, that he was hoping to meet Putin for the first time that June to discuss how Russia could encourage Western investment.

Weeks later, he reported back that he had cancelled a meeting with Putin in St Petersburg, demanding the Russian leader “set aside real time and privacy” for him.

Inclusion in the Epstein files does not imply guilt. Mr Barak has acknowledged visiting Epstein but maintains he never observed any inappropriate behaviour or parties.

Mr Jagland distanced himself from Epstein late last year as it emerged in a previous release of files that they had discussed Russia and US president Donald Trump in 2018.

In June 2013, Epstein emailed Jagland inviting Putin for dinner, the files show. He said: “Bill Gates will be staying with me in paris , for sund monday, putin is welcome to join for dinner.”

The files show Epstein also tried to set up a meeting with Putin in early 2014, when Mr Jagland said he was going to meet the president in Sochi.

That July, Epstein received an email from a contact saying: “I wasn’t able to convince Reid to change his schedule to go meet Putin with you. ;-)”

Epstein replied: “Bad idea now after plane crash”. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashed three days prior, killing 283 on board. A UN body ruled last year that Russia was responsible, though the Kremlin always denied responsibility.

Files show Epstein asked Mr Jagland for help again in 2015. He wrote: “I still would like to meet putin and talk economy, i would really appreciate your assistance.”

Epstein offered ‘insight on Trump’

In 2016, he asked Mr Jagland when he would see Putin, and in 2017, he asked him to “talk to putin re digital currencies . the future”.

On 20 June, 2018, as previously reported, he emailed Mr Jagland: “Would love to meet putin”.

It emerged in a previous file dump that four days later, nearly a month before Trump first took office, Epstein tried to pass a message on to Russia’s top diplomat via Mr Jagland.

“I think you might suggest to putin that lavrov can get insight on talking to me,” he wrote in an email dated 24 June, 2018. ‘Lavrov’ likely refers to Russia’s minister of foreign affairs and close Putin ally Sergey Lavrov.

“vitaly churkin used to .but he died. ? !” he added, referring to the late Russian ambassador to the UN, who had passed away a year prior.

Mr Jagland said he would meet with Mr Lavrov’s assistant and “suggest”, to which Epstein replied: “churkin was great . he understood trump after our conversations. it is not complex. he must be seen to get something its that simple.”

In a text message to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK last year, Mr Jagland said: “In my work I have met a lot of people, many have put me in contact with even more. This is part of normal diplomatic activity.

“What has come to light about Jeffrey Epstein’s private life, I strongly distance myself from. For me, it was particularly important to understand Donald Trump and what developed in the relationship between the United States and Europe … Many wanted to start a process to exclude Russia from the Council of Europe and thus Russian citizens’ access to the European Court of Human Rights. I used every opportunity to get my view across on how serious this was.”

Many of the items referencing Putin only refer to him tangentially, such as in media bulletins sent to Epstein’s email address.

A separate 2010 email exchange between Epstein and an email address named “The Duke”, included in the new files, suggests Epstein also set up a dinner between the former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and a “beautiful” 26-year-old Russian woman.

Epstein writes in the message: “I have a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with.”

In response, “The Duke” replies: “Of course. I am in Geneva until the morning of 22nd but would be delighted to see her. Will she be bringing a message from you? Please give her my contact details to get in touch. A.”

Asked for more information about the unnamed woman, Epstein replied: “she 26, russian, clevere beautiful, trustworthy and yes she has your email.”