Week after a high-level Russia-US dialogue in Saudi Arabia on February 18, the diplomats from two nations will meet again in Istanbul on Thursday to address diplomatic disputes and lay the groundwork for broader talks on ending the Ukraine war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced on Wednesday.The meeting follows a February 12 call between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. It will initially focus on improving conditions for diplomats in both countries, including embassy staffing and property disputes that escalated under the Biden administration, Lavrov said as per a report by Reuters.“The outcome of the talks will show how quickly and effectively we can move,” Lavrov stated, adding that diplomatic trust must be restored before discussing larger geopolitical issues.As talks advance, both sides have signaled interest in economic cooperation. Putin this week proposed that the US participate in joint ventures to exploit rare earth deposits in Russia and in occupied Ukrainian territories. Trump’s willingness to engage with Moscow—reversing Biden’s policy of sanctions and diplomatic isolation—has raised concerns in Kyiv and among European allies about potential US-Russia agreements that sideline Ukraine.Also read | Is Trump breaking the Western alliance? Maybe notWhile a Trump-Putin summit is expected, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said no date has been set. Another phone call between the two leaders remains possible but is not currently scheduled.Lavrov on Wednesday also said that Moscow would not consider “any options” for European peacekeepers in Ukraine, dismissing the idea as an attempt to fuel the conflict rather than de-escalate it.French President Emmanuel Macron during visit to Washington on Monday, raised the possibility of deploying peacekeeping troops, suggesting they could help enforce any future peace deal. Trump expressed support for the idea, stating that Putin had also agreed—though the Kremlin later clarified that its stance remained unchanged.Story continues below this adAlso read | Kremlin disputes Trump’s ‘Russia would accept NATO peacekeeping troops in Ukraine’ claimBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is scheduled to meet Trump on Thursday, has also indicated the UK’s willingness to send troops as part of a postwar peacekeeping force.Lavrov, however, reiterated Moscow’s strong opposition to the proposal, making it clear that any suggestion of Russian approval was incorrect.“We cannot consider any options” when it comes to European peacekeepers, he said during a visit to Qatar.“Trump said that a decision on the deployment of peacekeeping forces would only be possible with the consent of both sides. Apparently referring to us and Ukraine. Nobody has asked us about this,” he added.Story continues below this adLavrov, known for frequently rejecting Western proposals, accused European nations—particularly France and the UK—of using the idea to prolong the war rather than seek peace.Also read | Endgame in Ukraine: How Trump will end the war Putin started“This approach, which is being imposed by the Europeans, primarily France, but also the British, is aimed at what I just mentioned: to further fuel the conflict and to stop any attempts to calm it down.”Lavrov reinforced Moscow’s position that any settlement must ensure Russia’s full control over the four Ukrainian regions it claims as its own—despite Kyiv’s refusal to recognize this.He also rejected the idea of a ceasefire that would leave Russian and Ukrainian forces facing off along a demarcation line, stating that Moscow wants a settlement that ensures the remaining Ukrainian-controlled territory is less hostile to Russia and Russian speakers.Story continues below this adAlso read | Trump-Putin summit preparations underway, Russia saysUkraine has consistently denied allegations that it represses ethnic Russians and Russian speakers.“Therefore, we cannot get away with such simple technical measures like deploying troops. We need to talk about the root causes (of the conflict),” Lavrov said.“The root causes were the (attempted) dragging of Ukraine into NATO and the total eradication of the rights of Russians and Russian-speaking people.”(With inputs from Reuters)