US and Russian diplomats will sit down in Istanbul on Thursday to talk about issues of interest to embassies, a move towards improved bilateral relations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed.

The meeting follows a shift in the foreign policy of the United States under President Donald Trump, who took office last month. He has since made efforts to seek further outreach with Russian President Vladimir Putin, holding high-level discussions for the first time in over three years. Among one of the top agenda items will be easing diplomatic tensions after reciprocal expulsions of ambassadors under the previous US administration of former President Joe Biden.

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Speaking to Qatar on Wednesday, Lavrov underscored the importance of the talks to come. “Tomorrow, there will be such a meeting in Istanbul. I think its result will show how quickly and effectively we are able to continue,” he declared.

The Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed the session as a technical-level meeting of Russian and American delegations. “Turkey stands ready to offer all kinds of support to the efforts for peace, including accommodating negotiations,” said the spokesperson.

At an earlier meeting of Lavrov this month with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Riyadh, both sides said they would engage in negotiations for the war against Ukraine absent Kyiv. This marks a sign of greater convergence of Washington and Moscow at the expense of Ukraine.

Strains escalated last week when Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” and urged him to act quickly to end the war. The US also joined Russia in two United Nations votes on Monday, abstaining from voting to condemn Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Turkey is meanwhile acting as a mediator, having hosted direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in 2022.