Russia claims that the US has canceled upcoming negotiations to reduce bilateral tensions

Russia claims that the US has canceled planned negotiations to reduce tensions and restore diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have recently attempted to mend strained relations, but Russia stated Monday that the United States had canceled the next round of bilateral talks aimed at reducing diplomatic tensions between the two nations.

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, revealed the information in a statement, claiming that Washington had unilaterally withdrawn from the planned meeting, which was a part of a larger discussion to settle diplomatic “irritants” and normalize embassy operations. She did not say whether the United States provided a rationale for the ruling.

“As of today, the U.S. negotiators have decided to cancel the next meeting in the framework of bilateral consultations on eliminating ‘irritants’ in order to normalize the activities of both countries’ diplomatic missions,” Zakharova stated. “We’re hoping that their pause won’t be much longer.”

The discussions, which started after Trump returned to the White House in January, were moving forward independently of those pertaining to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. According to Russian officials last week, they were anticipated to relocate from Istanbul to Moscow on short notice.

Moscow and Washington ties had fallen to what Russia called “below zero” under President Joe Biden, as the US delivered cutting-edge weapons to Ukraine and imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia in retaliation for the invasion.

Despite denying that the dialogue has stagnated, the Kremlin acknowledged last week that numerous obstacles continue to impede bilateral development. According to a Kremlin spokeswoman, “there are a lot of blockages in bilateral relations,” and progress would not be made anytime soon.

The newfound interaction has been clouded by the lack of concrete progress on Ukraine and anger over Russia’s ongoing military actions, even though Trump and Putin have spoken on the phone five times since January, the most recent being on Saturday.

Both parties have openly admitted that improved relationships may lead to important commercial and investment prospects. The ongoing crisis in Ukraine and political tensions, however, continue to be significant barriers to any further progress.