The United States has canceled a bilateral meeting with Russia that was intended to discuss the normalization of diplomatic relations. The talks, which were scheduled to take place in Moscow, were expected to address a range of diplomatic and security issues between the two countries.
According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the cancellation was initiated by the U.S. side. Posting on her Telegram channel, Zakharova stated, “As of today, the next meeting within the framework of bilateral consultations on eliminating ‘irritants’ to normalize the operation of diplomatic missions of both countries has been canceled at the initiative of the American negotiators.”
She did not offer a specific explanation, nor did she confirm whether the U.S. provided one.
The now-scrapped meeting was expected to focus on mutual restoration of embassy operations, easing visa issuance processes, addressing the ongoing war in Ukraine, and exploring avenues for post-conflict economic cooperation between Moscow and Washington.
Two prior meetings had already taken place: the first on February 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the second on February 27 in Istanbul, Turkey. These discussions marked the Trump administration's initial efforts to re-establish functional diplomatic ties with Moscow following the breakdown in relations after Russia launched its Special Military Operation in Ukraine.
At the initial meeting in Riyadh, the Russian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, reportedly secured an agreement from the U.S. negotiators that restoring bilateral relations would not be contingent solely on resolving the conflict in Ukraine. However, the abrupt cancellation of this latest round of talks may indicate that the Trump administration is stepping back from its earlier push for a diplomatic resolution.
The decision comes at a time of rising global tensions. While no formal reason has been given, the timing coincides with the growing possibility of U.S. involvement in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned Israeli military actions during a phone call with President Trump, signaling deepening geopolitical friction.
Russia has characterized Israel as the aggressor and Iran as the victim in the current conflict, suggesting Moscow will not adopt a neutral or conciliatory position. This stance puts Russia and the United States at odds once again—on yet another front—if Washington chooses to intervene militarily in the Middle East crisis.