RT.com
27 Feb 2025, 14:34 GMT+10
The meeting in Istanbul will focus on systemic problems in Moscow-Washington relations, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said
A Russian delegation has arrived for new talks with the US in Istanbul, Türkiye, according to media reports and a video from the scene. The negotiations mark the second time this month that diplomats from Moscow and Washington are holding in-person dialogue.
The upcoming closed-door meeting in Istanbul was confirmed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday, although he did not provide details on the composition of Moscow's negotiating team.
He noted, however, that "our diplomats, high-level experts will meet [with their US counterparts] and examine the systemic problems that have accumulated as a result of the illegal activities of the previous [US] administration to create artificial obstacles to the activities of the Russian embassy," for which Moscow retaliated in kind.
Lavrov also suggested that the talks would show "how quickly and effectively the sides can move."
width="560"
height="315"
src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.02/67c029022030275e15788da4.mp4" frameborder="0"
>
On Thursday, several Russian media outlets released a brief clip of a Mercedes minibus with tinted windows and a diplomatic license plate pulling up to a heavily guarded compound in Istanbul. According to TASS, the talks are taking place at the residence of the US consul general.
The Istanbul negotiations come after top Russian and US diplomats convened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the first high-level talks between the two nations since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict three years ago.
The primary focus of the meeting was to pave the way for normalizing economic and diplomatic ties and settling the Ukraine conflict. The sides also agreed in principle to restore embassy staffing after years of tit-for-tat cuts fueled by geopolitical tensions, although no concrete steps have been announced so far.
Over the past few years, Istanbul has played an important role as a neutral venue for negotiations related to the Ukraine conflict, most notably direct talks between Moscow and Kiev in 2022.
According to Russian officials, the peace process was making progress at the time, but was derailed by then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who allegedly advised Ukraine to continue fighting, a charge he has denied.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of St Petersburg Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to St Petersburg Star.
More InformationDUBLIN, Ireland: Following a recent debate in the European Parliament, a vice president of the European Commission has been criticized...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A quiet shift inside the Trump administration has stalled a key diplomatic initiative aimed at pushing Russia toward...
Nearly 150 people were killed and more than 600 injured in the 2024 terrorist attack ...
The announcement follows accusations from Moscow that Belgrade is secretly supplying munitions to Ukraine Serbia has temporarily...
The announcement follows accusations from Moscow that Belgrade is secretly supplying munitions to Ukraine ...
The move follows accusations from Moscow that Belgrade is secretly supplying munitions to Ukraine Serbia has temporarily halted all...
WASHINGTON DC, - U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed a ceasefire has been reached between Israel and Iran. He made the claim on...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: British Iranians living in the U.K. are taken aback when they try to reach their families in Tehran on the phone and...
BRASILIA, Brazil: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is accused of playing a key role in an illegal surveillance operation orchestrated...
ANKARA, Turkey: A Turkish far-right politician went on trial Wednesday, facing charges of inciting public hatred—an episode critics...
LONDON, U.K.: In a landmark moment for Britain, lawmakers in the House of Commons have voted in favour of legalising assisted dying,...
Western support for Israel's right to strike Iran backs up a pattern of pre-emptive violence that critics say is further eroding international...