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ISTANBUL: On Thursday, U.S. and Russian delegations convened in Istanbul to discuss normalizing the operations of their diplomatic missions, following escalating tensions stemming from the Ukraine conflict, the most significant clash between Moscow and the West since the height of the Cold War.
Leading the discussions are Russia’s newly appointed ambassador to the U.S., Alexander Darchiev, and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonata Coulter, as confirmed by Russia’s foreign ministry.
The primary aim, as stated by both Moscow and Washington, is to reinstate diplomatic functions that have been hampered by years of confrontations, accusations of intimidation, and complications regarding frozen diplomatic assets. This has strained relations between the two nuclear powers.
“Ukraine is completely off the table,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce emphasized on Tuesday.
“These discussions focus exclusively on our embassy operations and not on normalizing the overall bilateral relationship, which can only transpire once there is peace in Ukraine,” she continued.
In recent years, both Moscow and Washington have expressed frustration over challenges in securing credentials for their diplomats, significantly hindering the effectiveness of their embassies.
Russia has noted that Western sanctions have complicated even the payment of diplomats, while U.S. officials report restrictions on their movements within Russia. Each side has documented instances of intimidation.
A significant point of contention is diplomatic property.
The U.S. government has placed restrictions on six Russian properties, including the Killenworth estate in Long Island, the Pioneer Point “dacha” in Maryland, as well as the Russian consulates located in San Francisco and Seattle, along with trade missions in Washington and New York.
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