With embassy talks called off for now, US-Russia diplomatic normalisation hits roadblock

Russia on Monday (June 16) announced that the United States has called off a planned round of talks aimed at normalising the operations of their respective embassies.

No reason was provided by Moscow for the US decision, and Washington has yet to issue a comment.

According to Russia’s envoy to the United States, the two nations had previously met twice in Istanbul and were scheduled to hold a third round of discussions in Moscow.

"The next meeting... has been cancelled at the initiative of the American negotiators. We hope that the pause they have taken will not be too long," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has made efforts to improve relations with the Kremlin, including direct outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin and initiating high-level talks.

Officials from both countries have engaged in discussions on various issues, including the conflict in Ukraine, economic cooperation, and practical matters related to diplomatic missions.

Amid years of tensions and reciprocal diplomatic expulsions, both embassies have been operating with significantly reduced staff.

Earlier, Russian and US delegations will hold talks in Moscow in the near future, Russian Ambassador to the United States Alexander Darchiev said in an interview with state-controlled news agency TASS on June 10.

The meeting would follow a series of previous discussions between the US and Russia that focused on peace efforts in Ukraine and the resumption of bilateral ties.

The first talks since the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine took place on Feb. 18 in Riyadh, where the sides discussed bilateral relations, a potential presidential meeting, and ending the war.

"I can confirm that the next round of negotiations between the delegations will take place very soon in Moscow," Darchiev said.