In a sign of both opportunity and friction in US-Russian relations, the Biden-to-Trump presidential transition has brought dramatic changes in tone-though not without setbacks. The United States has postponed a scheduled round of bilateral talks with Russia that were aimed at restoring diplomatic channels and addressing long-standing tensions. At the same time, US President Donald Trump has renewed his push for Moscow’s reintegration into the group of major Western economies-reviving a contentious debate about the post-Cold War world order and the legacy of Russia’s expulsion from the G8.

The latest round of US-Russia negotiations, originally scheduled to take place in Moscow, has been postponed by the United States without public explanation, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. In a statement released on June 16, Zakharova revealed that the meetings-which were designed to “eliminate irritants” in diplomatic missions and reestablish embassy functionality-were canceled at the initiative of the American side.

“As of today, the next meeting within the framework of bilateral consultations… has been canceled at the initiative of the American negotiators,” Zakharova confirmed. She did not elaborate on the reasons given by Washington but said Moscow remained hopeful that “the pause they have taken will not last too long.”

This development follows two earlier rounds of high-level bilateral talks held earlier this year-first in Riyadh on February 18 and then in Istanbul on February 27. Those sessions marked the first direct diplomatic engagements of any significance between Moscow and Washington since the onset of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in 2022. The topics discussed included the mutual reopening of........

© Blitz