Negotiations between Russia and the United States are set to resume on April 10 in Istanbul. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the upcoming meeting will take place on Turkish territory and that the Russian Foreign Ministry will represent Moscow. However, as Bloomberg notes, the agenda for the talks remains undisclosed.
The announcement comes after President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, returned from a two-day visit to Washington. According to Bloomberg, Dmitriev met with Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The meetings took place amid growing pressure from the U.S. president, who has expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of progress toward a ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
A Return to Dialogue After a Long Hiatus
As reported by Bloomberg, since Donald Trump took office in January, he and Vladimir Putin have held two publicly confirmed phone conversations. These calls have marked the beginning of a cautious rapprochement between Moscow and Washington after nearly all official contacts were severed following the outbreak of the war in February 2022.
At the unofficial level, diplomats and intelligence officials from both sides have already discussed the potential restoration of diplomatic presence — including the reopening of embassies and consulates. Sources say that future economic cooperation has also been floated, should a path to de-escalation be found.
Trump’s Pressure and Turkey’s Neutral Role
Analysts view the upcoming meeting in Istanbul as a significant diplomatic signal, particularly as Turkey — maintaining neutral relations with both Russia and the West — once again plays the role of mediator. This is not the first time Turkish diplomacy has served as a platform for East-West dialogue.
Meanwhile, President Trump continues to intensify pressure on Moscow, demanding concrete steps toward a ceasefire in Ukraine. Dmitriev’s visit to Washington and the announcement of new talks are seen as signals of a possible shift in the Kremlin’s stance.
While the official agenda remains under wraps, experts believe the talks will likely address issues of security, a ceasefire framework, humanitarian coordination, and possibly the initial outlines of a future diplomatic settlement.
This article was prepared based on materials published by Bloomberg. The author does not claim authorship of the original text but presents their interpretation of the content for informational purposes.
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