Moscow and Washington continue a complex dialogue aimed at restoring bilateral relations, but there is no hope for a quick breakthrough. This was stated by the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov on April 13, 2025, commenting on the call of the US President Donald Trump to speed up the negotiation process. According to Peskov, the revival of trust between the countries after a deep crisis is a long process that requires consistent efforts and diplomatic subtlety. He emphasized that "immediate results" are impossible in such conditions, but the work is moving in a positive direction.

Peskov noted that negotiations between Russia and the United States are conducted through several channels, which indicates the seriousness of the parties' intentions. The main lines of communication include contacts between the intelligence services of the two countries, interaction between the Russian Foreign Ministry and the US State Department, as well as dialogue between the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev and Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. Peskov described the latter channel as particularly effective, allowing for the accurate transmission of the parties' positions and providing the presidents with a reliable picture of what is happening. According to him, mutual visits between Dmitriev and Witkoff have become an important tool for building a dialogue, despite the remaining disagreements.

The Kremlin spokesman explained that the restoration of relations is essentially starting from scratch after years of cooling caused by sanctions and conflicts. Each step forward requires overcoming mutual mistrust, which makes the process slow but necessary. Peskov expressed confidence that the current efforts are creating a basis for minimal mutual understanding, without which further progress would be impossible. At the same time, he refrained from making predictions about the timing of reaching specific agreements, emphasizing the complexity of the tasks facing the parties.

Talks between Russia and the US have intensified since Trump returned to the White House, but progress remains limited by fundamental differences over Ukraine and sanctions. Moscow insists on a review of Western sanctions, while Washington demands guarantees of an end to hostilities. Dmitriev’s visit to Washington in early April, mentioned by Peskov, was aimed at discussing economic cooperation, including rare earth mining, but did not lead to any concrete agreements.