Russia announced on Monday that the United States had cancelled the next round of bilateral talks aimed at easing diplomatic tensions between the two countries — a move seen as a setback to recent efforts launched by Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump to repair strained ties.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the disclosure in a statement, saying Washington had unilaterally pulled out of the upcoming session, which was part of a broader dialogue to resolve diplomatic “irritants” and normalise embassy operations. She did not specify whether the US gave any reason for the decision.

“As of today, the next meeting within the framework of bilateral consultations on eliminating ‘irritants’ in order to normalize the activities of diplomatic missions of both countries has been cancelled at the initiative of the American negotiators,” Zakharova said. “We hope that the pause they have taken will not last too long.”

The talks, which began following Trump’s return to the White House in January, were progressing on a separate track from negotiations over the ongoing war in Ukraine. They had been expected to shift from Istanbul to Moscow soon, Russian officials said last week.

Under President Joe Biden, relations between Moscow and Washington had reached what Russia described as “below zero,” with the US delivering advanced weapons to Ukraine and enforcing several rounds of sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion.

Although the Kremlin has denied that the dialogue has stalled, it admitted last week that many issues still obstruct bilateral progress. “There are a lot of blockages in bilateral relations,” a Kremlin spokesperson said, warning that improvements would not come quickly.

Despite five phone calls between Trump and Putin since January — the latest taking place on Saturday — the lack of tangible progress on Ukraine and frustrations over Russia’s continued military actions have cast a shadow over the renewed engagement.

Both sides have publicly acknowledged that stronger relations could unlock significant business and investment opportunities. However, political tensions and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine remain formidable obstacles to any meaningful breakthrough.

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