U.S. and Russian delegations will meet in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss reestablishing diplomatic ties further through embassy operations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.
Lavrov was speaking in Qatar’s Doha where he met the emir of Qatar, a close ally of Türkiye.
U.S. President Donald Trump has upended U.S. foreign policy since coming to office last month, reaching out to President Vladimir Putin and initiating high-level talks with Moscow for the first time in over three years.
The latest meeting will focus on resolving diplomatic issues after both countries expelled embassy staff from the other during former U.S. President Joe Biden's administration.
"Such a meeting will take place tomorrow in Istanbul. I think that its results will show how quickly and effectively we can move forward," Lavrov said Wednesday on a visit to Qatar.
The development was later confirmed by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
"As we have repeatedly stated, Türkiye is ready to provide all kinds of support to peace efforts, including hosting future talks," the spokesperson said.
However, the participants, timing, and venue of the meeting were yet to be confirmed.
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 war without Kyiv.
Both sides have since moved closer while sidelining Ukraine.
Last Wednesday, Trump branded his Ukrainian counterpart a "dictator" and called for him to "move fast" to end the war.
The United States sided with Russia twice Monday in votes at the United Nations, as it sought to avoid condemnation of Moscow's invasion of its neighbor three years ago.
