Officials state that discussions will center on re-establishing diplomatic ties, not the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian and US diplomatic teams have met in Istanbul, Türkiye, for private discussions.
The Russian delegation is headed by Alexandr Darchiev, Moscow’s new ambassador to Washington, while US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Sonata Coulter, leads the US side.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the focus is on “eliminating numerous obstacles, including technical ones, that complicate diplomatic operations.”
Ambassador Darchiev said that Moscow aims to remove “the toxic legacy of the previous American administration.” He emphasized the need for a “serious conversation” about returning diplomatic properties seized by the US, calling it “a key condition” for the restoration of normal relations.
Darchiev described visa and financial restrictions, and limitations on diplomats’ freedom of movement as “a tight knot of problems.”
He added, “Now the Russian and American delegations are working together to untangle it.”
Russian media released a short video on Thursday showing a minibus arriving at the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated prior to the meeting that “these talks are solely focused on our embassy operations, not on normalizing a bilateral relationship overall, which can only happen, as we’ve noted, once there is peace between Russia and Ukraine.”
Bruce indicated that political or security issues, including the Ukraine conflict, are not on the agenda.
A source informed TASS that the meeting was expected to last several hours, potentially shorter than the previous session on February 27.
These talks follow a period of active diplomacy between the US, under President Donald Trump, and Russia, including a diplomatic effort to resolve the Ukraine conflict. Consequently, Washington and Moscow have been gradually re-establishing contacts that were largely absent during the preceding three years under former US President Joe Biden.
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