Moscow confirms new round of talks between Russia and the US

The two countries have held several high-level meetings since US President Donald Trump took office in January.

The Russian Foreign Ministry told domestic media on April 8 that the upcoming discussions will focus on normalizing the activities of the two countries' diplomatic missions. The venue, format and composition of the negotiations will remain unchanged from the previous round of meetings on February 27, also held in Istanbul.

“Work to remove numerous technical barriers that complicate the daily activities of diplomats from both countries will continue,” the ministry was quoted by RIA Novosti news agency as saying.

The Russian delegation will be led by the new Russian Ambassador to Washington, Aleksandr Darchiev. The US delegation will be headed by Sonata Coulter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Eurasian Affairs. Representatives from both foreign ministries will also attend.

Plans for the new meeting were first announced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week, when he said Moscow and Washington were “in contact by phone and video conference” to prepare for the next round of talks.

In recent years, Russia and the US have reduced diplomatic staff at each other's missions, imposed banking restrictions and seized diplomatic property. The escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022 has increased tensions and led to additional sanctions.

President Trump has abandoned many of Biden's policies, calling for a quick resolution to the Ukraine conflict and a reset of bilateral relations with Russia.

The first meeting between high-level Russian and US delegations took place in Riyadh on February 18, with the focus on resuming the work of embassies 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 in Saudi Arabia and agreed to revive the Black Sea Grain Initiative. After the talks, Mr. Trump signaled that Washington might consider lifting some sanctions to advance the deal, which was seen as a step forward in efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.