- The State Department says “Ukraine is not on the agenda at all,”
- The talks say the talks are fully focused on embassy operations.
- To advance Russia’s envoy from Washington Alexander Darchio.
Istanbul: The US and Russian delegation arrived in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss the work of their diplomatic missions in Istanbul after the war in Ukraine gave rise to the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the talks will be led by the new Russian ambassador to Washington and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonita Colotter in Washington.
According to Moscow and Washington, central focus is restoring the work of diplomatic missions after years, mutual claims of threats and even freezing the complex relations of diplomatic property between the two nuclear powers.
“Ukraine is not on the agenda at all,” State Department spokesman Timi Bruce said on Tuesday.
“These negotiations are fully focused on our embassy operations, not to normalize bilateral relations as a whole, which can only happen, as we have noted, once there is peace between Russia and Ukraine.”
Both Moscow and Washington have complained about the difficulties of obtaining credentials for their diplomats in recent years, making their embassies very difficult.
Russia has said that due to Western sanctions, diplomats have also made it difficult to pay, while US diplomats say their movements are banned in Russia. Both sides have complained of threats.
These matters also have diplomatic property.
Washington has banned six Russian properties, including Kolin Worth State on Long Island, Pioneer Point “Dacha” in Maryland, San Francisco and Russian Consulate in Seattle and trade missions in Washington and New York.
