U.S. and Russia Enter New Diplomatic Phase with Talks in Istanbul

U.S. and Russia Enter New Diplomatic Phase with Talks in Istanbul
Istanbul, April 10, 2025:

Russia and the United States are set to hold discussions in Istanbul, Turkey today (Thursday) aimed at normalizing the operations of their diplomatic missions. In the aftermath of the Ukraine war, relations between Moscow and the West have become severely strained, leading to what is considered the most significant crisis since the end of the Cold War.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the talks will be led by Alexander Darchiev, the new U.S. Ambassador to Moscow, and Sonatha Coulter, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. Both sides have stated that the primary goal is to restore the functionality of diplomatic missions, which have been hampered by disputes, mutual distrust, and even seizures of diplomatic properties following the Ukraine war.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Tuesday, “Ukraine is in no way a topic of these discussions. The talks will focus solely on the functioning of our embassies, not on the normalization of bilateral relations, which will only be possible once peace is achieved between Russia and Ukraine.”

Following the Ukraine conflict, both Russia and the United States have faced challenges in accrediting their diplomats, making the operation of embassies increasingly difficult. Russia has stated that sanctions from the West have caused issues in paying its diplomats, while U.S. diplomats are facing movement restrictions within Russia.

In addition, disputes over diplomatic properties persist. The United States has imposed restrictions on six Russian properties, including the Killenworth Estate in Long Island, the Pioneer Point "dacha" in Maryland, the Russian consulates in San Francisco and Seattle, and the Russian trade missions in New York and Washington.

This round of talks could mark a significant step toward improving diplomatic relations between the two nuclear-armed nations.