Why it matters:
Relations between Russia and the United States have historically been tense. Under Barack Obama, these tensions escalated significantly. However, during Donald Trump's first term, relations began to improve. With Joe Biden's presidency and the onset of the Ukraine war, tensions reached unprecedented levels. Now, with Trump's return to the White House, it appears that relations between the two countries are once again on the mend.
What he's saying:
"Our diplomats will meet to address the systemic problems that have piled up as a result of the previous [US] administration’s illegitimate activities aimed at creating artificial obstacles for the work of the Russian embassy," Lavrov said.
Lavrov expects that the Istanbul meeting "will make it clear how capable the parties are of moving forward quickly and effectively."
Go deeper:
On February 18, Russian and US delegations met in Riyadh for over four hours. The Russian team, led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, called the meeting productive. Washington said that the two sides agreed to restore embassy staffing, which had been reduced since 2014 due to policies aimed at containing Russia.
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