US, Russian delegations hold second round of talks in Istanbul

U.S. and Russian delegations met in Istanbul on Thursday for talks on restoring the functioning of their embassies, which drastically scaled back staffing following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The talks, the second of their kind, come after President Donald Trump reached out to Russia at the start of his second term and offered improved ties.

“A U.S. delegation led by Sonata Coulter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Russia and Central Europe, met with a Russian delegation headed by Ambassador Aleksandr Darchiyev on April 10 in Istanbul,” the State Department said in a press statement.

According to a State Department spokesperson, this meeting marks the second round of consultations following an agreement between Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart, with the initial session held on February 27.

“Building upon the groundwork laid during the February 27 meeting, the U.S. and Russian delegations engaged in constructive dialogue aimed at finalizing an understanding to ensure stable diplomatic banking arrangements for bilateral missions of both nations.”

“Central to the discussions was the United States’ reiterated concern over Russia’s policy restricting the employment of local staff, which poses a significant challenge to maintaining stable staffing levels at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow,” the spokesperson noted.

Russia’s U.S. envoy, Alexander Darchiev, told journalists on Wednesday that the talks would focus on “getting rid of the toxic legacy of the previous U.S. administration, which set strict limits on the activities of Russian diplomatic missions.

Since Trump’s return to the White House, Russian and U.S. officials have been engaged in several tracks of talks, ranging from negotiations over a Ukraine ceasefire and restoring economic ties to technical issues like those on the agenda on Thursday. Both sides have been operating their embassies with skeletal staffing for years due to diplomatic expulsions. Moscow also wants the United States to return diplomatic property it claims has been “seized,” including two summer houses used by embassy officials.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Coulter and Ambassador Darchiyev agreed on the necessity of convening a follow-up meeting in the near future to address these pressing issues. Details regarding the exact date, location, and composition of the next meeting will be determined subsequently, the State Department said.

The talks underscore ongoing efforts by both sides to navigate complex bilateral challenges and foster diplomatic cooperation amidst existing tensions.