On April 25, 2025, the Kremlin hosted another meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump's Special Representative Steven Witkoff. This was reported by the Russian leader's press secretary Dmitry Peskov, who emphasized that the talks were devoted to issues of resolving the conflict in Ukraine and normalizing relations between Moscow and Washington. The meeting, which began in a closed format, was the fourth between Putin and Witkoff since the beginning of 2025, which underlines the Trump administration's active efforts to find ways to end the war in Ukraine. The previous meeting took place on April 11 in St. Petersburg, where the parties also discussed the prospects for a ceasefire.

According to Russian media, Witkoff arrived in Moscow on the morning of April 25, and his visit was announced the day before. According to Axios, the special envoy's plane departed from Paris for Russia, which is confirmed by Flightradar24 data. The Kremlin expected the talks to focus on the US-proposed 30-day truce, which Washington is promoting as a first step toward a broader peace deal. However, Peskov warned in advance not to expect "breakthrough" results, calling the meeting "an opportunity to convey Russia's position."

The context of the meeting is linked to the Trump administration’s growing pressure on Moscow and Kyiv to reach a ceasefire. Trump, who returned to the White House in January 2025, has repeatedly stated his intention to end the conflict as soon as possible. In a post on the Truth Social platform on April 11, he called on Russia to “move faster,” noting that “thousands of people are dying every week.” The US president has expressed frustration with the pace of negotiations, threatening to impose additional sanctions on Russia if progress is not made by the end of April.

According to Reuters, the talks were also attended by Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev, who had previously met with Witkoff in Washington. Dmitriev plays a key role in building economic ties and had previously accompanied Witkoff to St. Petersburg. During the current meeting, sources report, not only the ceasefire was discussed, but also prospects for economic cooperation, including joint projects in the Arctic and the extraction of rare earth metals.