Amid the tension between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Russian and US governments have made a major announcement. Moscow and Washington have agreed on joint measures to ensure the uninterrupted funding of diplomatic missions in both countries. The Russian Foreign Ministry gave this information.
Since Donald Trump came to power, Russia-US relations have improved rapidly. Trump has also adopted a cooperative attitude with Moscow on the issue of the war in Ukraine. Russian and US delegations held talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday.
According to the Xinhua news agency, the meeting, which was held in a closed room of the US Consulate General, lasted more than six hours. The ministry said that the two sides discussed removing a number of obstacles in bilateral relations. The statement said that Russia and the US agreed to take joint measures to ensure uninterrupted funding of the activities of diplomatic missions on a reciprocal basis and to create favorable conditions for diplomats to perform their official duties.
The Russian delegation at the meeting was led by Alexander Darchev, Director of the North Atlantic Department. The US delegation was led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonetta Coulter, who oversees Russia and Central Europe policy.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that, at the direction of the Foreign Minister, a detailed discussion was held on ways to overcome a number of problems inherited from the previous US administration. The ministry also said that Russia raised the issue of its diplomatic property in the US, in particular, six real estate properties illegally seized between 2016 and 2018.
Over the past decade, Russia and the United States have repeatedly expelled each other’s diplomats, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of staff in their embassies. In addition, Russia proposed that the United States consider restoring direct air services. This would help improve bilateral relations in the interests of both countries. The statement added that Moscow and Washington agreed to continue their diplomatic contacts.
