Kathrine Frich
Relations between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have long swung between confrontation and friendship.
Moscow is signalling it wants to test whether dialogue can still deliver concrete results.
Behind the scenes, Russia is putting specific demands on the table as contacts with Washington continue.
Quiet outreach
Russia has resumed discussions with the United States aimed at restoring diplomatic relations, according to Ziare.com, citing Eurasia Business News.
The talks are taking place during Donald Trump’s second term as US president.
The Kremlin says it is seeking to remove what it calls “serious obstacles to the full improvement of relations between Moscow and Washington.”
As part of that effort, Vladimir Putin has sent proposals described as unexpected by Russian media.
Seven properties
One of Moscow’s central demands is the return of seven Russian diplomatic properties located on US territory.
These include former consulates in Seattle and San Francisco, the Killenworth estate on Long Island, and a Russian trade mission in Washington.
The properties were seized in 2017 as part of US sanctions imposed on Russia and affiliated organisations.
Moscow argues that their return would be a tangible step toward normalising relations.
Flights and respect
Russia is also proposing the resumption of direct flights between the two countries. The Russian Foreign Ministry framed the initiatives as mutually beneficial.
“We would welcome the success of Russian-American normalization, of course, provided that this process continues to develop on an equal basis and with mutual respect,” the ministry said after a press conference by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reviewing Russian diplomacy in 2025.
It added that restored ties would open “very promising and win-win, first of all, for themselves, horizons of cooperation with us” for the US.
Business signals
Moscow has pointed to several areas where it sees potential cooperation, including hydrocarbons, critical minerals and rare earths, Arctic projects, artificial intelligence and space.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on January 25 that Russia and the US were “returning to normality” and holding contacts in both capitals over longstanding irritants in the relationship.
The talks are being conducted behind closed doors, without media access.
Fragile thaw
Despite the outreach, relations remain strained.
On January 22, 2026, US Special Presidential Envoy Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, met Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin to discuss Ukraine and bilateral ties.
A second round of trilateral talks between the US, Ukraine and Russia is also scheduled for February 4–5 in Abu Dhabi, focusing on a possible end to the war.
Sources: Ziare.com, Eurasia Business News
