Washington announces schedule and topics for upcoming Russia-US discussions
The next round of discussions aimed at enhancing US-Russia diplomatic relations is scheduled for Thursday in Istanbul, Türkiye, as confirmed by the US State Department. Since the beginning of Donald Trump's presidency, Washington and Moscow...
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The next round of discussions aimed at enhancing US-Russia diplomatic relations is scheduled for Thursday in Istanbul, Türkiye, as confirmed by the US State Department.
Since the beginning of Donald Trump's presidency, Washington and Moscow have engaged in multiple high-level talks, with more negotiations anticipated shortly, as stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
“On April 10, US and Russian delegations will meet for a second time in Istanbul to try to make progress on further stabilizing the operations of our bilateral missions,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced during a press briefing.
The State Department representative highlighted that the forthcoming discussions 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.” She reaffirmed, “There are no political or security issues on the agenda, and Ukraine is not – absolutely not – on the agenda.”
In recent years, diplomatic staff reductions, banking restrictions, and the seizure of diplomatic properties have marked the relationship between Russia and the US. The intensification of the Ukraine conflict in 2022 escalated these tensions and led to further actions.
In contrast, Trump has diverged from several Biden administration policies, advocating for a quick resolution to the Ukraine situation and a reset in bilateral relations. The first high-level meeting of Russian and US delegations occurred in Riyadh on February 18, focusing on restoring embassy operations and alleviating restrictions. A subsequent meeting in Istanbul on February 27 addressed diplomatic funding and included Russia’s suggestion to reinstate direct flights.
Moscow has indicated that this week’s talks will maintain the same venue, format, and roster of participants. The delegation from Russia will be headed by Aleksandr Darchiev, the new ambassador to Washington, while the US delegation will be led by Sonata Coulter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Eurasian Affairs.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
Since the beginning of Donald Trump's presidency, Washington and Moscow have engaged in multiple high-level talks, with more negotiations anticipated shortly, as stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
“On April 10, US and Russian delegations will meet for a second time in Istanbul to try to make progress on further stabilizing the operations of our bilateral missions,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced during a press briefing.
The State Department representative highlighted that the forthcoming discussions 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.” She reaffirmed, “There are no political or security issues on the agenda, and Ukraine is not – absolutely not – on the agenda.”
In recent years, diplomatic staff reductions, banking restrictions, and the seizure of diplomatic properties have marked the relationship between Russia and the US. The intensification of the Ukraine conflict in 2022 escalated these tensions and led to further actions.
In contrast, Trump has diverged from several Biden administration policies, advocating for a quick resolution to the Ukraine situation and a reset in bilateral relations. The first high-level meeting of Russian and US delegations occurred in Riyadh on February 18, focusing on restoring embassy operations and alleviating restrictions. A subsequent meeting in Istanbul on February 27 addressed diplomatic funding and included Russia’s suggestion to reinstate direct flights.
Moscow has indicated that this week’s talks will maintain the same venue, format, and roster of participants. The delegation from Russia will be headed by Aleksandr Darchiev, the new ambassador to Washington, while the US delegation will be led by Sonata Coulter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Eurasian Affairs.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
