Russia, US to hold new talks on Thursday in Türkiye, Lavrov says

Russian and U.S. diplomats will meet in Istanbul on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, for talks on resolving bilateral disputes that are part of a broader dialogue they see as crucial to ending the war in Ukraine.

Lavrov said the talks would focus on creating better conditions for Russian diplomats in the United States and their American counterparts in Russia, following a series of disputes over staffing levels and embassy property.

The outcome of the Istanbul talks -- which follow a phone call between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on February 12 and a high-level meeting between Russia and the United States in Saudi Arabia on February 18 -- "will show how quickly and effectively we can act," Lavrov said.

Trump says he wants to move quickly toward a cease-fire in Ukraine, but Putin this week tempered expectations of quick progress, saying nothing could be achieved without restoring trust between Russia and the United States.

The agenda for Thursday’s talks, as outlined by Lavrov, indicates that the two sides will first focus on technical barriers to diplomatic relations before moving on to more ambitious goals. He blamed the administration of Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, for the situation.

"Our high-level diplomats, experts, will meet and consider the systemic problems that have accumulated as a result of the illegal activities of the previous administration to create artificial obstacles for the activities of the Russian embassy, ​​to which we, of course, reciprocate and also create uncomfortable conditions for the work of the US embassy in Moscow," Lavrov said.