Delegations from the US and Russia met in Istanbul to discuss mutual cooperation between embassies. Russian President Putin provided a statement about the meeting, stating “Initial contacts with the US administration are promising. We do not reject a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis.”

The Russian delegation arrived at the Istanbul Consulate General of the United States to meet with the US.

The meeting addressed bilateral disputes.

According to the TASS news agency, the meeting concluded.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had announced that Russian and US delegations would meet in Istanbul on February 27 to discuss mutual cooperation between embassies.

PUTIN: PROMISING INITIAL CONTACTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking about the meeting at the Federal Security Service headquarters in Moscow, said, “Initial contacts with the US administration are promising.”

Putin stated, “It is important for partners to show pragmatism and reject the cliches of their predecessors,” adding, “Russia and the US are ready to establish cooperation. We do not reject a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis. We are aware that some Western elites will try to sabotage our dialogue with the US.”

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova also commented, expressing hope that the meeting in Istanbul between Russia and the US would be the first in a series of talks that would bring us closer to resolving our issues.

STATEMENT FROM TBMM SPEAKER KURTULMUŞ

TBMM Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş held a joint press conference with the Chairman of the Russian Federal Assembly Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko in Ankara today. In his statement, Kurtulmuş said, “The war between Ukraine and Russia must end. Diplomatic efforts must be sustained. We have made efforts for dialogue, and we can be a mediator between Russia and Ukraine.”