Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via a video link in Moscow, Russia, April 1, 2025. Sputnik/Sergei Ilyin/Pool via REUTERS
| Published April 4, 2025
Moscow, Russia —Despite recent diplomatic overtures between Moscow and Washington, the Kremlin has made it clear: no call is currently planned between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.
The statement came shortly after Kirill Dmitriev, a close Putin ally and sovereign wealth fund chief, wrapped up what he described as productive talks in the United States. Dmitriev, who played a key role in U.S.-Russia backchannel efforts during the early Trump years, characterized the recent meetings as having a “positive dynamic.” According to him, discussions covered topics ranging from Arctic cooperation to rare earth metal production and even restoring direct flights between the two nations.
But back in Moscow, expectations remain grounded.
“There are no preparations underway for a phone call between President Putin and President Trump,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, shutting down any speculation of an imminent leader-to-leader conversation.
Ukraine’s Odesa after a Russian attack.
Behind the Curtain: Strategic Caution
U.S. officials, according to NBC News reports, have advised Trump to hold off on calling Putin unless Russia agrees to a full ceasefire in Ukraine. Sources suggest that while Trump is free to make that call at any time, his team believes such a move should come after concrete progress—particularly an end to hostilities that have stretched on for more than three years now.
On the other side of the Atlantic, European leaders aren’t buying into Putin’s recent peace gestures. Foreign ministers from France and the UK, among others, continue to accuse Moscow of stalling efforts to end the war in Ukraine, even as Trump pushes to broker a peace deal. “The Russian president doesn’t want peace,” said David Lammy, the UK’s foreign minister. “He wants time and leverage.”
Economics in the Background
Beyond the geopolitical back-and-forth, economic turbulence also weighs heavily on Moscow. Peskov acknowledged the need to shield Russia’s economy from external shocks—especially after Trump’s latest round of global tariffs sent ripples through world markets. Although Russia wasn’t directly targeted, the Kremlin is wary of the domino effect such policies can have.
A Complex Road Ahead
While Dmitriev’s visit signals that lower-level engagement between the two countries is still active, the road to high-level diplomacy appears far from clear. Trust remains fragile, and with the war in Ukraine still unresolved, the political calculus on both sides is cautious.
Still, Dmitriev remains hopeful. “We need to keep talking,” he said before departing Washington.
Whether that talk ever reaches the presidential level, however, remains to be seen.
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