Russian, US diplomats meet in Turkiye for talks on repairing ties
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Russian and US diplomats met in Turkiye on Thursday to address embassy disputes, testing efforts to reset ties and end the Ukraine war.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pose for a photo during their meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkiye, on February 24, 2025. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP)
Russian and US diplomats met in Turkiye on Thursday to discuss issues regarding the operations of their embassies in Washington and Moscow, marking an early test of their efforts to reset relations and move towards resolving the war in Ukraine.
Last year, the Kremlin described relations as "below zero" under President Joe Biden, who supported Ukraine with aid and weapons while imposing sanctions on Russia for its role in the war.
However, President Donald Trump has reversed this policy and quickly initiated talks with Moscow since taking office last month, reaffirming his commitment to ending the war swiftly.
The talks in Istanbul followed a phone call between Trump and President Vladimir Putin on February 12 and a high-level diplomatic meeting in Saudi Arabia six days later.
Russia seeks long-term Ukraine peace, rejects hasty ceasefire
Earlier this week, Russia pushed for a lasting peace agreement in Ukraine that addresses what it sees as the root causes of the war, rather than a swift US-backed ceasefire that could lead to renewed fighting, a senior Russian diplomat told RIA news agency.
In an interview published on February 24 marking three years since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stressed the need for a durable resolution.
"We can recognize with sufficient confidence the desire of the American side to move towards a quick ceasefire," Ryabkov said, according to RIA.
However, he warned that "a ceasefire without a long-term settlement is the path to a swift resumption of fighting and a resumption of the conflict with even more serious consequences, including consequences for Russian-American relations. We do not want this."
