Russian and US diplomats will meet on Thursday in Istanbul to discuss embassy-related issues, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Wednesday while in Qatar.

He blamed restrictions imposed by the previous US administration for disrupting the work of Russia's diplomatic mission and causing "systemic problems," saying Moscow responded with reciprocal measures. Lavrov emphasized that frozen Russian assets would not be on the agenda, as that issue belongs at the "state level." He hopes the meeting will clarify how quickly both sides can make progress.

This follows a meeting last week in Riyadh, where delegations from both countries discussed Ukraine. According to Russia, the US showed a better understanding of its stance on the conflict.