Russia, US Agree to Resolve Diplomatic Mission Issues, Says Lavrov
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russia and the United States have agreed to settle outstanding issues related to their diplomatic missions “once and for all,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.
Speaking after talks in the Saudi capital, Lavrov described the discussions with US representatives as “very useful,” noting that both sides had begun to “listen and hear each other.”
He said Moscow and Washington had committed to appointing ambassadors in each other’s capitals as soon as possible and to addressing obstacles hindering the operations of their embassies.
The bilateral talks, aimed at normalizing diplomatic functions, also covered efforts to end the war in Ukraine, resume consultations on geopolitical challenges, and remove barriers to economic cooperation.
Both nations, Lavrov stated, would work toward conditions that allow for a full resumption of collaboration.
He confirmed that the US would soon name its representative for negotiations on the Ukraine conflict, with Russia following suit shortly after.
While there was mutual understanding on certain matters, Lavrov emphasized that this did not indicate a complete alignment of positions between the two countries.
Commenting on reports of a purported three-point Ukraine peace plan, Lavrov said US officials had dismissed the claim as false.
He added that Russia had made it clear to Washington that Ukraine’s potential NATO membership posed a direct threat to Moscow.
According to Lavrov, the US proposed a moratorium on attacks against energy infrastructure in both Russia and Ukraine, but Moscow rejected the idea.
He also reiterated that the presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil remained unacceptable to Russia.
Despite ongoing tensions, Lavrov acknowledged that Moscow had sensed Washington’s determination to "move forward" and that Russia shared the same intent.
The meeting marked the first direct talks between Russian and US diplomats since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war on Feb. 24, 2022.
Lavrov led the Russian delegation, which included presidential aide Yury Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund.
On the US side, Secretary of State Marco Rubio headed the delegation, accompanied by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff, special envoy for the Middle East.
