The recently released Jeffrey Epstein files by the U.S. Department of Justice have caused global stir, with the documents highlighting repeated references to Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the papers, Epstein attempted to arrange meetings with Putin and sought to contact other top Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the late U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, as well as other key figures within Russia’s government.
The documents reportedly mention Putin’s name at least 1,005 times. In June 2018, Epstein emailed Thorbjørn Jagland, then Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, requesting that Lavrov deliver a message to Putin. Epstein noted that he had previously communicated through Churkin, but after Churkin’s death, he sought alternative channels to reach the Russian leadership, underscoring his persistent efforts.
The files do not confirm whether Epstein ever met Putin. However, the emails indicate that Epstein claimed he was either in the process of arranging a meeting or had received an invitation, though no official verification exists. Despite this, the frequent mentions of Putin in the millions of pages of documents have drawn significant international attention.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that authorities are investigating Epstein’s alleged ties with Russian intelligence agencies, intensifying scrutiny of his network. Russia, meanwhile, has denied all allegations, calling them unsubstantiated. The files continue to raise questions about Epstein’s global connections and the potential involvement of high-level international figures.