Russian and US diplomats met in Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday to discuss repairing ties between the two nations. The talks, led by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonata Coulter and Russian Foreign Ministry’s North America department head Alexander Darchiyev, aimed to resolve disputes over embassy operations in Washington and Moscow.
The meeting follows a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 12, as well as a high-level diplomatic meeting in Saudi Arabia six days later. The Kremlin had previously described US-Russia relations as “below zero” under the Biden administration, but Trump has sought to reset ties and end the war in Ukraine.
Key Issues on the Agenda:
- Staffing levels: The US State Department emphasized that the talks would focus on practical issues like staffing levels at each other’s missions.
- Visas and diplomatic banking: The meeting also aimed to address visa issues and diplomatic banking problems that have affected embassy operations.
Despite the narrow focus, the talks mark an initial step towards rebuilding US-Russia relations, with potential implications for areas like nuclear disarmament, economic cooperation, and lucrative business ventures. Putin has expressed interest in joint projects to tap rare earth deposits in Russia and Ukraine.