Russia, US hold talks; Putin says contacts 'inspired hope'

Russian and U.S. teams held six hours of talks in Turkey on Thursday to try to restore normal functioning of their embassies, and Vladimir Putin said initial contacts with Donald Trump's new administration had inspired hope.

The talks, focused narrowly on conditions for each other's diplomats, provided an early test of the two countries' ability to reset wider relations, amid a Trump administration outreach effort that has alarmed Washington's European allies and Kyiv.

The Kremlin last year described relations as "below zero" under the administration of Joe Biden, who backed Ukraine with aid and weapons and imposed sanctions on Russia to punish it for its invasion in 2022.

But Trump, who has promised a quick end to the war, has upended U.S. policy swiftly to open talks with Moscow, beginning with a phone call to Putin on February 12 and a high-level diplomatic meeting in Saudi Arabia six days later.

Russian state news agency TASS said Thursday's talks, held at the gated residence of the U.S. consul general in Istanbul, wrapped up after some six hours without any statements to the press.

Reuters