MOSCOW: Russian and United States diplomats held six hours of talks in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss restoring the normal operation of their respective embassies, amid broader efforts to improve relations between Moscow and Washington.
The second round of talks, which followed a recent meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marked a shift in US policy under President Donald Trump.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, addressing the Federal Security Service (FSB) on Thursday, expressed optimism about initial contacts with the new US administration.
“The first contacts with the new US administration inspire certain hopes,” Russian state news agency TASS quoted Putin as saying.
He added that both sides had demonstrated “a mutual dedication to work towards restoring interstate relations and gradually resolving the enormous volume of accumulated systemic and strategic problems in the global architecture.”
Putin also warned that some Western leaders were seeking to undermine the reconciliation process. “Part of Western elites are still determined to maintain global instability and could try to disrupt or compromise the dialogue that has begun,” he said, urging Russian diplomats and intelligence agencies to counter such efforts.
US-Russia talks in Istanbul
The Istanbul talks were held at the US Consulate General’s residence and focused on embassy staffing and diplomatic operations, which have suffered due to mutual expulsions of diplomats and office closures in recent years.
According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the discussions aimed to address “many irritants” in US-Russia relations.
“We hope that today’s meeting, the first in a series of expert consultations, will bring us and the American side closer to overcoming differences and strengthening trust,” she told TASS.
A US Embassy official in Ankara confirmed that Ukraine was not on the agenda, with discussions focusing solely on diplomatic matters, Reuters reported.
The Istanbul talks followed a meeting in Riyadh on 18 February, where Russian and US officials agreed to work towards ending the war in Ukraine and improving diplomatic and economic ties.
While Ukrainian officials were not present at either meeting, the Kremlin has termed these discussions as a pathway towards eventual peace talks.
Speaking during a visit to Qatar, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the meetings sought to resolve “systemic problems that have accumulated as a result of the unlawful activities of the previous [US] administration to create artificial obstacles for the work of the Russian embassy, to which we, naturally, reciprocated and also created uncomfortable conditions for the work of the American embassy in Moscow.”
Lavrov added that the outcome of the Istanbul talks would indicate “how quickly and effectively we can move forward.”
Shift in US policy under Trump
The meetings in Riyadh and Istanbul signal a significant shift in US foreign policy under President Trump, who assumed office for a second term on 20 January.
Trump has pledged to end the war in Ukraine, a stance that has caused tensions with Washington’s European allies and Kyiv.
Ties between Moscow and Washington had deteriorated sharply under Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, who imposed extensive sanctions on Russia and provided Ukraine with military and financial support following the Ukraine war.
The Kremlin previously described relations under Biden as having sunk “below zero.”
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The last face-to-face meeting between Russian and US leaders took place at the 2019 G20 summit in Osaka, Japan. Preparations are reportedly underway for a new summit between Trump and Putin.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Öncu Keçeli confirmed that Russian and US delegations met at a “technical level” in Istanbul but did not provide further details.
He reiterated Turkey’s willingness to support peace efforts, including hosting future negotiations.
Despite these diplomatic moves, European allies remain wary of US-Russia rapprochement. European leaders have expressed concerns that a shift in US policy could weaken support for Ukraine’s defence against Russian aggression.
