Putin Ready to Welcome Trump to Moscow as Russia-US Relations Remain Frozen

The Kremlin has confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin still expects to welcome US President Donald Trump to Moscow, despite the continued collapse of relations between Russia and the United States and the absence of any major diplomatic breakthroughs between the two powers.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow remained fully open to a future meeting between the two leaders and stressed that the invitation extended by Putin during their previous contacts had not been withdrawn.

Russia would be pleased to receive the American president in Moscow whenever such a visit becomes possible, Peskov said, emphasizing that Putin remained ready for direct dialogue with Trump.

Invitation Dates Back to Alaska Meeting

The renewed discussion surrounding a possible Trump visit traces back to the leaders' meeting in Alaska in August 2025. Following the talks, Putin publicly revealed that he had invited Trump to Moscow for another round of discussions.

Trump later responded by saying he hoped a new meeting with Putin would take place "very soon.” Putin then switched to English during the exchange and personally suggested Moscow as the location for their next summit. Trump replied that such a meeting sounded interesting and entirely possible.

Despite those statements, no formal plans for a visit have emerged, and officials on both sides continue to describe bilateral relations as effectively frozen.

Kremlin Says Relations With Washington Remain 'At Zero'

Peskov acknowledged that there had been virtually no progress in restoring normal communication between Moscow and Washington. According to him, relations remain at the lowest point seen in decades.

The Kremlin spokesman said Russia-US relations remain "at zero” and added that Washington must also take steps if the situation is to improve.

The comments reflected Moscow's growing frustration with the lack of diplomatic momentum, even as both sides maintain indirect contacts over the conflict in Ukraine and broader international security issues.

Peskov nevertheless noted that communication channels with the White House still exist through special envoys and presidential aides.

Witkoff and Kushner Could Return to Moscow

The Kremlin also expressed interest in continuing contacts with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. Peskov said no concrete schedule for future visits currently exists, but confirmed that Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov remains in constant contact with Witkoff.

Earlier, Trump suggested he could send Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to Moscow if such a mission could help advance negotiations over Ukraine.

Trump said he would support sending negotiators to Moscow if he believed the effort could contribute to resolving the conflict.

Ushakov later indicated that Witkoff and Kushner would eventually return to Russia for additional discussions.

Putin's Possible Appearance at G20 Sparks Debate

At the same time, speculation continues to grow over whether Putin could travel to the United States later this year for the G20 summit scheduled to take place in Miami in December 2026.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin confirmed in April that Russia had received an invitation to participate in the summit at the highest level.

American media outlets, including The Washington Post, later reported that Trump's administration planned to personally invite Putin to attend the gathering. Trump reportedly argued that Putin's participation could prove useful for international diplomacy, although he also expressed uncertainty over whether the Russian leader would ultimately travel to the United States.

For now, Ushakov says discussions about Putin's participation remain premature, with Moscow continuing to focus on broader geopolitical negotiations and the future direction of relations with Washington.