Russia and U.S. to Discuss Embassy Restrictions in Istanbul Meeting
“Our diplomats will convene to address the fabricated restrictions imposed by the previous U.S. administration on the operations of the Russian Embassy,” Lavrov stated.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday announced that Russian and U.S. delegations will meet in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss diplomatic challenges affecting their embassies.
Speaking at a press conference in Doha following his visit to Qatar, Lavrov emphasized the importance of the meeting, which will focus on longstanding disputes over embassy operations.
“Our diplomats and senior experts will convene to address the fabricated restrictions imposed by the previous U.S. administration on the operations of the Russian Embassy,” Lavrov stated. “These unlawful actions ultimately led to reciprocal measures that have hindered the work of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.”
Diplomatic tensions between Russia and the United States have escalated over the years, leading to significant reductions in the size of their embassies. In 2017, Washington ordered the closure of the Russian Consulate in San Francisco and reduced Russian diplomatic staff in the U.S. in response to alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Moscow retaliated by expelling hundreds of U.S. diplomats and ordering the closure of the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg in 2018.
Further restrictions were imposed in 2021 under the Biden administration when the U.S. expelled Russian diplomats and barred Moscow from hiring local staff at its missions. Russia responded by limiting the number of U.S. Embassy employees in Moscow, which significantly affected visa processing and other consular services.
The upcoming meeting in Istanbul marks a potential effort to ease tensions and restore some level of normalcy in diplomatic operations between the two nations.
