Moscow: Russia announced that the upcoming round of diplomatic consultations with the United States has been canceled, attributing the decision to the US side. A statement released by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed the cancellation, noting that the initiative came from American negotiators.

According to Anadolu Agency, the consultations were part of ongoing efforts to normalize diplomatic activities between the two nations. Zakharova expressed hope that the pause initiated by the US would not be prolonged, although she did not provide specific reasons for the interruption.

The US has yet to issue a response or confirmation regarding Zakharova's comments. The scheduled discussions were intended to address operational challenges faced by the embassies in both countries and to improve bilateral relations. Previous rounds of talks took place in Istanbul on February 27 and April 10.

Last week, Russia's Ambassador to the US, Alexander Darchiev, mentioned to the state news agency Tass that a third round of negotiations was expected to occur in Moscow soon. However, he indicated that the decision to alternate the venue of the talks between Moscow and Washington was not yet finalized.