U.S. and Russia make strides in restoring diplomacy
In Istanbul, talks between the U.S. and Russian delegations have come to an end after lasting over six hours. The meeting was centered on the restoration of diplomatic relations.
According to Reuters, which cited Russian media, no media briefings were conducted following the meeting.
Restoration of diplomatic relations
On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department clarified that the discussions would not address the war in Ukraine. "To be clear, there are no political or security issues on the agenda. Ukraine is not on the agenda," stated a department spokesperson. The meeting’s sole objective was to restore diplomatic relations between Washington and Moscow.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that both parties would focus on restoring the full functionality of diplomatic missions in both capitals, which currently operate in a limited capacity.
The talks in Istanbul were another step toward normalizing diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Russia. The size of the diplomatic missions in Washington and Moscow has been significantly reduced, making communication between the two countries more challenging.
