US and Russian delegations arrived on Thursday for talks in Istanbul on normalizing the work of their diplomatic missions after the war in Ukraine triggered the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the depths of the Cold War.
Reuters footage showed several cars entering the Russian consulate building in central Istanbul.
The talks will be led by Russia's new ambassador to Washington, Alexander Darchiev, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonata Coulter, Russia's foreign ministry said.
The main focus, according to Moscow and Washington, is restoring the work of diplomatic missions after years of rows, mutual claims of intimidation and even the freezing of diplomatic property complicated relations between the two nuclear powers.
"Ukraine is not, absolutely not on the agenda," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Tuesday.