Delegations from the US and Russia arrive in Istanbul for diplomatic talks
Delegations from the United States and Russia arrived in Istanbul on Thursday for discussions aimed at normalizing the operations of their respective diplomatic missions strained in the wake of the Ukraine war, which ignited the most serious rift between Moscow and the West since the Cold War era.
Reuters footage captured a convoy of vehicles entering the Russian consulate in central Istanbul, where the meetings are set to take place. According to Russia’s foreign ministry, the talks will be led by Alexander Darchiev, Moscow’s newly appointed ambassador to Washington, alongside Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonata Coulter.
Both Washington and Moscow have indicated that the core agenda is the restoration of embassy functions, following years of escalating tensions, reciprocal allegations of harassment, and the freezing of diplomatic assets that have hindered bilateral relations between the two nuclear powers.
“The issue of Ukraine is absolutely not on the agenda,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce on Tuesday. “These discussions are strictly about embassy operations not about broader normalization of relations, which can only occur once peace is achieved between Russia and Ukraine.”
In recent years, both sides have expressed frustration over increasing bureaucratic and operational hurdles. Russia has complained that Western sanctions have made it difficult to pay diplomats, while U.S. officials cite restrictions on their movement within Russia and cases of intimidation. A long-standing dispute over diplomatic property also remains unresolved.
Among the properties under U.S. restrictions are six Russian diplomatic sites, including the Killenworth estate on Long Island, the Pioneer Point retreat in Maryland, consulates in San Francisco and Seattle, and trade missions in Washington and New York.
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