The Trump administration is increasing high-level contact with Moscow even as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues and U.S.-backed peace efforts remain stalled. CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a rare visit to Moscow last week for talks with Russian intelligence officials; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was informed but did not meet Ratcliffe. President Donald Trump called the trip “semiroutine,” tied it to efforts to end the war, said Ratcliffe had “good talks,” and stated Russia is “not going to be attacking a NATO territory,” while U.S. media reported Ratcliffe also raised concerns about a possible Russian attack on NATO members and Moscow’s relationship with Iran. Separately, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov made a surprise appearance at the U.S.-hosted G20 finance ministers’ meeting in Asheville, North Carolina—the first since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022—and held a rare bilateral meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. A source familiar with the exchange said Bessent made clear there would be no economic relief or other agreements for Russia until the war in Ukraine ends. Siluanov later told Interfax the countries had agreed there are grounds for developing financial ties despite complications, argued that financial officials can sometimes find common understanding faster than politicians, and said dialogue must continue so shared economic interests can make political issues easier to resolve. European officials objected to any normalization: Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said Europe does not trust Russia, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil called receiving Siluanov as a normal guest troubling as Europe prepared further sanctions, EU economy chief Valdis Dombrovskis said it is not the right moment to normalize Moscow’s G20 role, and European ministers refused the traditional group photo, which proceeded without Siluanov. Territorial demands continue to block U.S.-mediated talks, Russian air attacks killed 12 people in Kyiv and surrounding areas, and analysts including Chatham House’s Keir Giles warn that treating Russia as a partner rather than an adversary deepens alarm for Ukraine and America’s European allies.