Russia and the United States will hold talks in Turkey on Thursday aimed at normalising the operations of their diplomatic missions, following heightened tensions sparked by the war in Ukraine — the most serious standoff between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.
The diplomatic talks in Istanbul will be led by Russia’s new ambassador to Washington, Alexander Darchiev, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonata Coulter, Russia’s foreign ministry said.
The main focus, according to Moscow and Washington, is restoring the work of diplomatic missions after years of rows, mutual claims of intimidation and even the freezing of diplomatic property complicated relations between the two nuclear powers.
Ukraine ‘Not On Agenda’
“Ukraine is not, absolutely not on the agenda,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Tuesday.
“These talks are solely focused on our embassy operations, not on normalizing a bilateral relationship overall, which can only happen, as we’ve noted, once there is peace between Russia and Ukraine.”
Diplomat Credential Difficulties
Both Moscow and Washington have complained in recent years about the difficulties of getting credentials for their diplomats, making the operation of their embassies extremely difficult.
Russia has said that even paying diplomats has become difficult due to Western limits, while U.S. diplomats say their movements are restricted in Russia. Both sides have complained of intimidation.
Diplomatic Properties
Among the issues is diplomatic property.
Washington has put six Russian properties under restrictions, including the Killenworth estate on Long Island, the Pioneer Point “dacha” in Maryland, the Russian consulates in San Francisco and Seattle and the trade missions in Washington and New York.
Tit-For-Tat Measures
Russia and the United States have expelled diplomats and limited the appointment of new staff at each other’s missions in tit-for-tat measures over the past decade, leaving their embassies thinly staffed.
(With inputs from Reuters)
