Russian and U.S. diplomats are set to meet in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss unresolved embassy-related issues, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
The meeting follows a recent shift in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump, who has initiated high-level talks with Moscow since taking office last month, marking the first such engagement since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The talks aim to address long-standing diplomatic disputes, including the mutual expulsion of embassy staff under previous U.S. administrations.
“The meeting will take place tomorrow in Istanbul. Its outcome will indicate how quickly and effectively we can move forward,” Lavrov said during a visit to Qatar.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry source later confirmed the meeting, describing it as a “technical-level discussion” between Russian and American delegations. The source added that Turkey remains committed to supporting peace efforts and is ready to host further negotiations.
Lavrov recently met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where both sides agreed to begin talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
