The meeting between the United States and Russia, which lasted six and a half hours, may be seen as a significant step forward in their diplomatic relations, considering the cold war that has been ongoing between the two nations in recent years. The encounter, held at the residence of the American consul in Istanbul, Turkey, was productive, although neither team was willing to comment on the outcome to the press.
This second round of bilateral negotiations, which took place behind closed doors, focused on normalizing diplomatic relations between Washington and Moscow, following the first contact that occurred in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18. The delegations were led by Sonata Court, Deputy Secretary of State, for the American side, and Alexánder Dárchiev, head of the North Atlantic Department in the Russian delegation, who could potentially become the future ambassador of Russia in the United States.
Optimism from the Russian President
Shortly after the meeting concluded, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed optimism, stating from Moscow that the initial contacts with the Americans offer some hope. “You see, we all see how the situation in the world is changing quickly. In this sense, I observe that the first contacts with the new US administration give some hope,” said the Russian leader. He also acknowledged that not everyone in the West is satisfied with the resumption of dialogue between the United States and Russia, suggesting that “a part of the Western elites are still determined to maintain instability in the world” and will attempt to disrupt the initiated dialogue.
Diplomatic Relations and the Ukraine Conflict
Both parties had previously stated that the conversations in Turkey would only focus on diplomatic relations between the two countries, excluding Ukraine. However, it was clarified that if the bilateral relationship can be improved, the next step would be to begin serious collaboration to end the war. Russian Foreign Minister Serguéi Lavrov announced the meeting between the delegations during his official visit to Doha, Qatar, emphasizing that high-ranking diplomats and experts from the US and Russia need to resolve issues such as financing, attempts to limit movement, and the number of diplomats, as well as the duration of each diplomat’s stay, which is not provided for in any international convention or diplomatic relations.
The ongoing war in Ukraine remains a significant challenge, with all parties awaiting a solution agreed upon by everyone involved. However, common views do not seem to be in sight, at least for now. US President Donald Trump recently declared that Russia would have to make territorial “concessions” to reach an agreement with Ukraine, a statement that was promptly responded to by Russian presidential spokesman Dimitri Peskov, who reiterated Russia’s position that the Ukrainian provinces of Lugansk, Donetsk, Jersón, and Zaporiyia are part of Russia since their annexation in September 2022, as stated in the Russian Constitution, and are therefore non-negotiable.