Moscow, Apr 8 (EFE).— The Kremlin confirmed Tuesday that Russia and the United States will hold a new round of talks in Istanbul aimed at normalizing strained ties “Our participation will be through the ministry of foreign affairs,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during his daily phone briefing with reporters.
He was responding to a question about who would represent Russia at the round of negotiations, reportedly scheduled for April 10.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had previously indicated that the next meeting would be held in the Turkish city, though he had not confirmed a date at the time.
Since US President Donald Trump took office, most Russian-American negotiations have been held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Istanbul has hosted only one round of talks so far, back in late February.
Lavrov, who has attended just one such meeting, said the session would address key unresolved issues in diplomatic relations between Moscow and Washington.
The last meeting in Istanbul was held at the expert level, but this time, a higher level of representation is expected.
According to the Kremlin, the US has yet to respond to Russia’s security concerns, which Russia says is preventing a broader ceasefire agreement on land, sea, and air.
Meanwhile, President Trump expressed discontent over recent Russian attacks, including one that killed 20 people last week in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
For now, Russia has rejected a comprehensive cessation of hostilities. It only declared a 30-day truce on Mar 18, limited to attacks on energy infrastructure, a move that Kyiv matched a week later. EFE
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