U.S. and Russia to Discuss Diplomatic Operations in Istanbul

U.S. and Russian officials will meet in Istanbul to discuss diplomatic operations, excluding Ukraine from the agenda. Previous discussions in Saudi Arabia paved the way for this meeting, as both nations seek to revitalize embassy functionalities after strained relations.

U.S. and Russian officials are set to meet in Istanbul to deliberate on their embassies' operations, a State Department spokesperson confirmed. Critical political and security issues, including Ukraine, will not feature in the agenda, according to the spokesperson.

The decision follows an agreement between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during talks held in Saudi Arabia last week. The primary objective is to address years of deteriorating embassy operations resulting from ongoing diplomatic tensions.

Both countries aim to open discussions on improving their diplomatic missions, emphasizing operational functionality over contentious political matters in this Istanbul meeting.