Russian and US flags near the US Embassy in Moscow, Russia, 19 February 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE/MAXIM SHIPENKOV

A second round of talks aimed at improving diplomatic relations between Russia and the United States have ended in Istanbul with neither delegation making any comment to the press, Russian news agency TASS reported on Thursday.

While there has been no confirmation of who participated in the talks, Russian state TV correspondent Denis Davydov said that the Russian delegation was headed by Alexander Darchiev, the director of the North American Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Darchiev, and a rumoured candidate to be Russia’s next ambassador to Washington.

According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, the talks were held “at the expert level” and were intended to bring the parties closer “to overcoming their differences” and “strengthening confidence-building measures”.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier on Thursday that one item on the agenda would be re-establishment of full embassy staff in both countries, news agency Interfax reported.

A US representative said the situation in Ukraine would not be discussed at the meeting, but that the American delegation would “know soon if Russia is really willing to engage in good faith”, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

A first round of official US-Russia talks took place in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on 18 February, at which the delegations discussed a possible meeting between Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.