According to U.S. officials, American representatives "expressed concerns" regarding access to banking services and contractual provisions, highlighting the "need for a stable and resilient staffing structure at the U.

Russian and U.S. diplomats will meet in Istanbul on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, for talks on resolving bilateral disputes that form part of a wider dialogue they see as crucial to ending the Ukraine war.

Putin hailed the Trump administration's "pragmatism and realistic view” compared with what he described as the “stereotypes and messianic ideological cliches” of its predecessors.