Russia, US Hold Second Round of Talks in Istanbul Amid Diplomatic Tensions

By Staff, Agencies

A Russian delegation has arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, for a new round of closed-door talks with US officials, marking the second in-person meeting between the two sides this month.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed the negotiations on Wednesday but did not disclose details about Moscow’s delegation.

Lavrov stated that discussions would address longstanding diplomatic challenges, particularly those stemming from US-imposed restrictions on Russian embassy operations, which Moscow had reciprocated. He emphasized that the talks would test how efficiently both sides could resolve these issues.

On Thursday, Russian media released footage of a diplomatic vehicle arriving at a heavily secured compound, identified by TASS as the residence of the US consul general. The meeting follows recent high-level discussions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the first of their kind since the Ukraine conflict escalated three years ago.

The Istanbul talks are expected to focus on restoring diplomatic and economic ties while exploring potential steps toward resolving the Ukraine conflict. Although both sides have agreed in principle to restore embassy staffing, no concrete measures have been announced.

Istanbul has previously served as a neutral ground for negotiations, including direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in 2022. Russian officials have claimed that progress in those discussions was undermined by then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who urged Ukraine to continue the fight—a claim he has denied.