Russia’s Foreign Ministry says it has suggested restoring direct air links between Russia and the United States during the latest round of consultations with Washington.

By Jonathan Spicer and Mark Trevelyan ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Russian and U.S. diplomats met in Turkey on Thursday for talks to resolve disputes over their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow, a first test of their ability to reset wider relations and work towards ending the war in Ukraine.

"We expect that today's meeting will be first in the series of similar expert consultations that will move us closer, together with the U.S., in overcoming disagreements and strengthening trust," spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during a press briefing.

Russian and U.S. diplomats met in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss normalizing the operation of their respective embassies after years expelling each others' diplomats. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks followed an understanding reached during President Donald Trump's call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and

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

The United States and Russia held "constructive discussions" regarding their diplomatic missions during a meeting in Türkiye on Thursday, February 27. The parties agreed to hold another meeting "in the near term,