Moscow confirms new round of talks between Russia and the US.
The next round of talks between Russia and the United States aimed at improving diplomatic relations will take place in Istanbul, Türkiye, in the coming days, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed on April 8.
These two countries have held a number of high-level meetings since US President Donald Trump took office in January.
The Russian Foreign Ministry informed domestic media outlets on April 8th that upcoming discussions will focus on normalizing the functioning of diplomatic missions between the two countries. The location, format, and participants of the talks will remain unchanged from the previous round on February 27th, also held in Istanbul.
"Work aimed at removing the numerous technical barriers that are complicating the daily operations of diplomats from both countries will continue," the ministry was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency.
The Russian delegation will be led by the new Russian Ambassador to Washington, Aleksandr Darchiev. The US side will be led by Sonata Coulter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Eurasian Affairs. In addition, representatives from both foreign ministries will also participate.
Plans for the new meeting were first announced last week by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, when he said Moscow and Washington were “in contact by phone and online conferences” to prepare for the next round of talks.
In recent years, Russia and the United States have reduced diplomatic staff at each other's missions, imposed banking restrictions, and seized diplomatic assets. The escalating conflict in Ukraine since 2022 has further increased tensions and led to additional sanctions.
President Trump abandoned many policies under Biden, calling for a swift resolution to the Ukraine conflict and the re-establishment of bilateral relations with Russia.
The first meeting between high-level Russian and American delegations took place in Riyadh on February 18, focusing on restoring embassy operations and easing restrictions. The next round of talks in Istanbul on February 27 discussed diplomatic funding and Russia's proposal to restore direct flights between the two countries.
Last month, delegations from both sides met again in Saudi Arabia and agreed to revive the Black Sea Grains Initiative. Following the talks, Trump signaled that Washington might consider lifting some sanctions to facilitate the agreement – seen as a step forward in efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
