US-Russia Discussions Scheduled in Moscow, According to Russian Envoy

MOSCOW — Discussions between the United States and Russia aimed at addressing their bilateral relations will shift from Istanbul to Moscow, according to Russia’s newly appointed ambassador to Washington, Alexander Darchiev, in an interview with the state news agency TASS.Darchiev noted, “The path to restoring Russian-American relations remains lengthy,” attributing the slow progress to the influence of the so-called U.S. “deep state” and anti-Russian elements within Congress. He confirmed, “I can assure you that the upcoming negotiations will occur very soon in Moscow.”

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led to the most significant tensions between Moscow and the West since the height of the Cold War. Senior diplomats from both capitals expressed to Reuters in 2024 that they could not remember relations being in such a dire state.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has characterized the Ukraine situation as a proxy conflict between the United States and Russia, with Trump consistently warning about the potential for escalation into a global war.