US Cancels Diplomatic Talks with Russia, Citing Lack of Progress

The United States has halted an upcoming series of discussions with Russia intended to restore the functioning of each nation’s diplomatic missions, as stated by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Monday.

Preceding this announcement, representatives from both nations had met on February 27 and April 10 in Istanbul, following an earlier engagement between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Saudi Arabia.

«As of today, the next round of bilateral discussions aimed at addressing challenges and normalizing the operations of our diplomatic missions has been canceled at the initiative of the American side,» Zakharova noted in a concise statement posted on the Foreign Ministry’s website.

«We hope this intermission won’t extend for too long,» she added.

Zakharova’s comments followed a statement from Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who had indicated that the talks would occur «very soon.» However, Washington has not confirmed the meeting.

The U.S. State Department has yet to respond to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s announcement regarding the canceled discussions.

Last week, Ryabkov mentioned that Moscow would seek «clearer answers» from Washington regarding its proposal to reinstate direct flights between Russia and the United States, along with the return of six Russian-owned diplomatic properties that were seized between 2016 and 2018 in response to alleged election interference.

According to the Kremlin, U.S. officials have linked the revival of direct flights to advancements in achieving a ceasefire in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has, thus far, declined U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to mediate a ceasefire.

Russia initially suggested resuming air travel during discussions in Istanbul on February 27 as the incoming Trump administration sought to mitigate tensions with Moscow.

Ryabkov also indicated that future discussions would encompass the escalating tensions in the Middle East, along with Iran’s nuclear program.

On Friday, Israel conducted airstrikes on Iran, leading to retaliatory actions from Tehran. The air conflict has resulted in hundreds of civilian casualties in both nations.

Over the weekend, Trump mentioned that he received a proposal from Putin to mediate between Israel and Iran. In response to the Israeli strikes, Putin condemned the actions and cautioned against «dangerous escalation» in the region.