At a press briefing held in Moscow on Thursday, November 6, Xinhua reported that Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova announced that Russia had made no substantive progress toward normalising relations with the United States. The statement followed recent meetings in which Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed bilateral issues, but only within the context of multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the Group of Twenty and the Asia‑Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
Zakharova’s remarks highlighted two key areas where tangible progress has been absent. First, the return of confiscated Russian diplomatic property remains unresolved. Second, the resumption of direct flights between Russia and the United States has not been achieved, according to the spokesperson. These items were singled out by Zakharova as metrics indicating a lack of forward movement in the relationship.
Despite the lack of concrete outcomes, Zakharova emphasized that dialogue with the United States continues at various levels and remains "generally business‑like," according to Xinhua. The spokesperson framed the ongoing exchanges as formal and procedural, rather than substantive, even though they do occur on a routine basis.
The briefing did not present any new agreements or commitments from either side. Instead, it reiterated that talks have largely remained within the scope of multilateral engagement, without turning into bilateral advances that would address the specific issues highlighted by Russian officials.
While the statement was delivered by Zakharova, it reflects a broader pattern in reporting on U.S.-Russia relations, where high‑level exchanges often occur without leading to immediate policy shifts. Both sides have reiterated their preference for a formal, business‑oriented approach, which has thus far prevented concrete improvements in the areas noted by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The absence of progress is particularly significant given the historical context of diplomatic property disputes, which have remained unresolved since the early 2000s. In addition, the lack of direct flights stands out as a practical barrier to enhancing people-to-people contact and economic ties between the two countries. These unresolved items are the focal points identified by Zakharova as clearest evidence of stalled relations.
In closing, Zakharova noted that the continued dialogue, although business‑like, did not translate into measurable outcomes. Xinhua did not report any promises for a turnaround or a change in the trajectory of either side’s approach.
The uncertainties left by the briefing are those already foregrounded by the official statements: it remains unclear whether the return of confiscated diplomatic property will be negotiated, whether the resumption of direct flights will materialize, and whether the business‑like tone of dialogue will evolve into substantive policy shifts. These points of ambiguity, as outlined by Maria Zakharova in the press briefing, continue to define the present state of U.S.-Russia relations.
