Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told newspaper Izvestia that Moscow has raised two unresolved issues with Washington, calling for the return of seized diplomatic property and the restoration of direct flights between Russia and the United States.
Zakharova emphasized that bilateral discussions must shift away from routine technical matters concerning diplomatic missions toward major breakthrough goals. She said Moscow is firmly pressing for progress on regaining access to confiscated Russian state real estate and reopening commercial air corridors.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, six state-owned diplomatic facilities remain seized on United States territory. American authorities confiscated the diplomatic properties between 2016 and 2018 despite their official diplomatic status.
Direct air travel between the two nations has been suspended since March 2022, when the United States closed its airspace to Russian aircraft following the start of military action in Ukraine.
Stalled talks and diplomatic trust
Despite recent incremental shifts in bilateral interactions, embassy and consulate general operations across both countries cannot yet fully resume. Zakharova noted that the negotiation process remains sluggish because the two sides hold fundamental differences in their approaches to key issues.
She explained that Russia and the United States will also need to work extensively to rebuild lost mutual trust before diplomatic representation can return to normal capacity.
The Russian Foreign Ministry oversees the nation's foreign relations from its headquarters in Moscow. Diplomatic property disputes between Washington and Moscow have persisted for several years, following successive rounds of facility closures and sanctions.
Warnings issued over infrastructure strikes
In the same interview with Izvestia, Zakharova also issued a warning to authorities in Kyiv regarding recent developments in the regional conflict.
She stated that the Russian Armed Forces will deliver a proportionate response to actions taken by Ukraine. She specifically highlighted that Russian military forces would react to an intensification of Ukrainian strikes targeting civilian infrastructure within the Russian Federation.
Kyiv and Moscow have exchanged repeated warnings over military engagements and strikes affecting infrastructure across the region as bilateral tensions remain high.
