Preparations for the second meeting in Istanbul on the normalisation of bilateral ties between Russia and the United States are underway, said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
During a press briefing in Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov did not provide a specific date for the meeting. However, he referred to President Vladimir Putin, who had requested a briefing from him and Defense Minister Andrey Belousov on Tuesday regarding the progress of talks with the US on the Ukraine issue.
Lavrov emphasized that Russia and the US are currently focused on three key issues: seeking a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine - addressing a moratorium on strikes targeting energy infrastructure plus restoring the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and removing "irritants" in bilateral ties.
According to Russia's top diplomat, these "irritants" are severely hindering the operations of the Russian embassy in Washington and the U.S. embassy in Moscow.
He stated, "A meeting was held in Istanbul, and preparations are underway for a second one. In the meantime, communication continues through phone calls and video conferences."
Lavrov emphasized that the "embassy issues" have been ongoing since the Barack Obama administration (2009-2017), just prior to the start of the Trump administration's first term.
Citing Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Russian FM stated that Ukraine violated the moratorium on strikes targeting energy facilities agreed upon at the suggestion of President Trump on March 18 during the telephone call between the President of Russia and the President of the United States.
"The moratorium is not being observed. All this time, the energy facilities of the Russian Federation have been coming under attacks with occasional short breaks of one to two days between them. Defence Minister Belousov listed the facilities targeted by Ukrainian drones over the period under review, including last night," - Lavrov said and added that the Russian army is observing the moratorium.
Russia has sent the list of violations to United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and to its representatives at the UN and the OSCE "so that they can present concrete evidence about what the word of the current Ukrainian authorities is worth, if you can call them authorities at all."
In addition, President Putin was updated on talks with the United States regarding "revivification, resumption, and resuscitation of the grain Black Sea Initiative" that was on the agenda of Riyadh meeting on 24th March.
"We highly appreciated - President Putin supported this assessment - the United States’ willingness to assist in removing the obstacles created by the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed on Russian grain and fertilizer exports. These sanctions have contributed to tensions in global markets and caused difficulties for developing countries, which have faced limited access to food and fertilizer," - Lavrov stated and added that Moscow put forward specific proposals on how this could be done in practice.
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Odesa residents remained without power for a third straight day on Monday (15 December) after a Russian missile and drone strike crippled the power grid on Saturday (13 December).
Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, has said that Ukraine has not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of children it alleges were taken illegally to Russia, despite the issue being discussed during talks in Istanbul.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defence budget, new conflicts could erupt elsewhere, even if Ukraine receives security guarantees.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, has said that Ukraine has not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of children it alleges were taken illegally to Russia, despite the issue being discussed during talks in Istanbul.
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman, detaining all 18 crew members on board.
An explosive device found in a vehicle linked to one of the alleged attackers in Bondi shooting has been secured and removed according to Police. The incident left 12 people dead.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
Syria has arrested five people suspected of having links to a deadly attack on a joint U.S.–Syrian convoy in the central town of Palmyra on Saturday, the country’s Interior Ministry said.
The head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, the foreign spy service known as MI6, has warned that Russia "remains an aggressive and expansionist threat", vowing sustained support for Ukraine and calling for greater use of technology to protect UK security.
Odesa residents remained without power for a third straight day on Monday (15 December) after a Russian missile and drone strike crippled the power grid on Saturday (13 December).
Fighting along the Thailand–Cambodia border has entered a fifth consecutive day, despite U.S. President Donald Trump claiming he had brokered a ceasefire between the two sides.
World leaders have expressed condolences and solidarity after 15 people were killed in a mass shooting during Hanukkah celebrations at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday (14 December).
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