Lavrov says Russia, US agree to resolve diplomatic mission issues

ISTANBUL

Russia and the US have agreed to resolve issues concerning their diplomatic missions “once and for all,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

Speaking after a meeting in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Lavrov described the talks with US representatives as “very useful,” emphasizing that both sides have begun to “listen and hear each other.”

He said Moscow and Washington have committed to appointing ambassadors in each other’s capitals as soon as possible and to working toward eliminating obstacles affecting the functioning of their embassies.

The bilateral talks, aimed at normalizing diplomatic operations, also focused on ending the war in Ukraine and restoring consultations on geopolitical challenges, as well as removing barriers to economic cooperation.

Both parties, he said, would try to create conditions for the full resumption of collaboration.

Lavrov confirmed that the US will soon announce its representative for discussions on the Ukraine conflict, with Russia set to do the same immediately afterward.

He said that while there is mutual understanding between Russia and the US on certain issues, this does not imply an alignment of positions.​​​​​​​

Addressing reports about a supposed three-point Ukraine peace plan, Lavrov said the US officials dismissed the claim as false.

He added that Russia had made it clear to the US that Ukraine's NATO membership would be a direct threat to Moscow.

According to Lavrov, Washington proposed a moratorium on attacks against energy infrastructure in both Russia and Ukraine, but Moscow rejected the idea.

He also underscored that the presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil remains unacceptable to Russia.

Despite ongoing tensions, Lavrov acknowledged that Russia has felt the US determination to "move forward," and Moscow shared the same sentiment.

The discussions marked the first meeting between the Russian and US diplomats since the Ukraine war began on Feb. 24, 2022, nearly three years ago.

The Russian delegation was led by Lavrov and included presidential aide Yury Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

On the US side, Secretary of State Marco Rubio led the delegation, accompanied by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff, special envoy for the Middle East.