US and Russia Hold Talks in Istanbul to Ease Diplomatic Tensions, Agree to Further Negotiations

The United States and Russia have agreed to hold further diplomatic talks following a meeting in Istanbul on Feb. 27, though details regarding the next round—such as date, location, and participants—remain undetermined.

According to a US State Department media note, the meeting was led by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Russia and Central Europe Sonata Coulter and Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Darchiyev.

It was part of an effort to address operational challenges facing their respective diplomatic missions. The discussions followed an agreement between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to open dialogue.

During the talks, the US raised concerns about access to banking services, contractual agreements, and the stability of staffing levels at its embassy in Moscow. According to an official statement, both sides identified “concrete initial steps” to improve diplomatic mission operations.

“Deputy Assistant Secretary Coulter and Ambassador Darchiyev agreed to hold a follow-up meeting on these issues in the near term, with the date, location, and representation to be determined,” the statement read.

Russian and US officials met in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss embassy-related issues and explore ways to improve diplomatic relations, as per Kyiv Post.

The meeting, held at the US Consul General’s residence, followed high-level discussions between the two countries earlier this month in Riyadh – their first direct talks since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where they agreed to launch discussions on the Ukraine war—without Kyiv’s participation.

The Istanbul talks centered on stabilizing diplomatic operations, following years of embassy staff expulsions under former US President Joe Biden’s administration.

US President Donald Trump, who took office last month, has been working to restore ties with Moscow. He has reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin and resumed high-level talks after a three-year hiatus.

On Monday, the US aligned with Russia in two United Nations votes, blocking resolutions that would have condemned Moscow’s actions in Ukraine since the start of the war.