US, Russia diplomats meet in Istanbul for embassy talks

Journalists work outside U.S. Consul General residence where Russian and U.S. diplomats are met to discuss operation of embassies, in Istanbul, Thursday. AP-yonhap

U.S. and Russian officials met in Istanbul on Thursday for talks on resolving embassy issues as the two countries aimed to restore ties, Russian news agencies reported.

The talks, being held at the U.S. consul general's residence, come after this month's first high-level meeting between the two nuclear powers since the start of Russia's Ukraine offensive.

Neither has said who would participate, but Russia's state TASS agency said the Russian delegation included "foreign ministry representatives."

U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to reset relations with Moscow since coming to office last month, reaching out to Russian leader Vladimir Putin and initiating high-level talks with Kremlin officials for the first time in over three years.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters restoring ruptured ties with the U.S. was a "process."

"No one expects decisions to be easy and quick. But with the political will of the two countries, with the willingness to listen and hear each other, we will be able to get through this working process," he said Thursday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Feb. 18 in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where they agreed to kickstart talks on the Ukraine conflict without involving Kyiv.

The U.S. sided with Russia twice Monday in votes at the United Nations, seeking to avoid condemnation of Moscow's offensive against its neighbor launched three years ago.

The talks in Istanbul are aimed at normalizing the work of their diplomatic missions after each expelled embassy staff from the other during former U.S. president Joe Biden's administration.

NATO member Turkey has sought to play a role in negotiations to end hostilities in Ukraine, twice hosting direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv in March 2022. (AFP)