Oh, Russia and the US are at it again! Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov announced that the date for the third round of consultations on “irritating issues” in bilateral relations will soon be set. Yes, you read that right — irritating issues! As if the relationship between these two superpowers is some kind of boring soap opera dragging on for years.
Ryabkov says there is no slowdown in the talks, just a “technical pause.” Technical pause or not, it seems the Trump administration is a master of contradictions — statements and actions that only complicate things. Russia, on its side, claims it is persistently moving towards normalizing relations but does not back down from pressuring the US on the return of diplomatic property.
What about sanctions? Ryabkov says US threats of new sanctions have become routine, but Russia has developed tools to cope with them and meet its needs through import substitution. So sanctions are like a boring song on repeat, but Russia has learned to sing along.
Another interesting point is the issue of air traffic between Moscow and Washington. Russia initiated restoration, but the US response was “minimal.” This means the issue will be put on the back burner but not forgotten.
Let’s remember, the previous two rounds of talks were held in Istanbul, with the Russian delegation led by Ambassador Alexander Darchiev and the US delegation by Sonat Kolter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State.
All in all, it looks like this saga of talks will continue with lots of words, few concrete results, and many irritating issues. If you love drama and political games, this is a real treat! What do you think — will anything really change, or is this just another round of pointless talks? Drop a comment and let’s see who’s the optimist and who’s the realist!
