Russian and U.S. diplomats will meet in Istanbul to discuss diplomatic disputes, seen as a step toward ending the Ukraine war. Talks follow recent Putin-Trump discussions, with business ties and ceasefire prospects on the agenda.
Russian and U.S. diplomats will meet in Istanbul on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, for talks on resolving bilateral disputes that form part of a wider dialogue they see as crucial to ending the Ukraine war.
Lavrov said the talks would focus on creating better conditions for Russian diplomats in the United States and their U.S. counterparts in Russia, after a series of rows over staffing levels and embassy properties.
The outcome of the Istanbul talks - which follow a call between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on February 12 and a high-level Russian-U.S. meeting in Saudi Arabia on February 18 - "will show how quickly and effectively we can move," Lavrov said.
Trump has said he wants to move quickly towards a ceasefire in Ukraine, but Putin this week tempered expectations of rapid progress, saying nothing could be achieved without restoring trust between Russia and the United States.
The agenda for Thursday's talks, as described by Lavrov, signals that the two sides will focus first on technical barriers to diplomatic relations before moving on to more ambitious goals. He blamed the situation on the administration of Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden.
"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, naturally, reciprocated and also created uncomfortable conditions for the work of the American embassy in Moscow," Lavrov said.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
As talks progress, both countries have said they want to explore the possibility of lucrative business ventures, as well as seeking an end to the Ukraine war. Putin said this week that Moscow would be ready to invite the U.S. to enter joint projects to tap rare earth deposits in Russia and in the parts of Ukraine that it has claimed as its own territory.
Trump's rapid moves to repair relations with Russia, reversing Biden's policy of trying to isolate Russia with sanctions, have raised fears in Kyiv and among its European allies that they could be sidelined in any potential deal.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated on Wednesday that there was an understanding that Trump and Putin should meet in person after thorough preparation, but said there were no details yet on when and where this would happen.
He said the two leaders could speak again by phone if needed, but there were no current plans for this.
Scientists have sequenced the full genome of a man buried in pharaonic Egypt over 4,500 years ago, revealing that about 20% of his ancestry came from ...
A federal judge has halted President Donald Trump’s controversial asylum ban at the US-Mexico border, ruling that the move oversteps his executive p...
Vietnam is set to confirm the purchase of 50 Boeing planes worth $8 billion, alongside agreements to import $2.9 billion in US agricultural products, ...
Conservative Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea, who submitted the motion, believes the vote is likely to fail but says it sends a powerful symbolic messag...
G7 foreign ministers urged Iran to urgently resume nuclear talks and full cooperation with the IAEA, condemning calls to arrest its director. The stat...
Poland will invest nearly $665 million in building three ammunition factories, aiming to boost defence readiness amid growing regional tensions.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says Russian-made Oreshnik medium-range missiles will be deployed in Belarus by the end of 2025.
Moscow and Baku are engaged in ongoing discussions on mutual concerns, with Russian Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin and Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev in direct contact, the Kremlin confirmed.
On Wednesday, Russia's Foreign Ministry called on Azerbaijan to return bilateral relations to the level of "strategic cooperation", warning that certain elements were attempting to undermine the long-standing partnership between the two nations.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands on Wednesday, with no tsunami warning issued but residents advised to remain vigilant.
China has ramped up efforts to protect communities impacted by flood control measures, introducing stronger compensation policies and direct aid from the central government.
The European Commission is set to propose allowing carbon credits from other countries to count towards the EU’s 2040 climate target, according to a leaked internal document.
Severe rain in Venezuela has caused rivers to overflow and triggered landslides, sweeping away homes and collapsing a highway bridge, with five states affected and no casualties reported so far.
The Pentagon says U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites have degraded Tehran’s programme by as much as two years, following attacks last month that used heavy bunker-buster bombs.
A CIA review has identified procedural flaws in a 2016 assessment that Russia sought to help Donald Trump win the U.S. presidency, but it did not challenge the core conclusion that President Vladimir Putin directed the influence campaign.
Scientists have sequenced the full genome of a man buried in pharaonic Egypt over 4,500 years ago, revealing that about 20% of his ancestry came from Mesopotamia, in a rare discovery linking the two early civilisations.
A federal judge has halted President Donald Trump’s controversial asylum ban at the US-Mexico border, ruling that the move oversteps his executive powers. The decision marks a major legal setback for Trump’s immigration policies and upholds protections for migrants seeking refuge.
Vietnam is set to confirm the purchase of 50 Boeing planes worth $8 billion, alongside agreements to import $2.9 billion in US agricultural products, as part of a wider trade deal. The announcement follows high-level talks between US and Vietnamese officials, signalling strengthened economic ties be
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment