Russia says next round of consultations with US canceled at Washington’s initiative

Russia said on Monday that the next round of consultations between Moscow and Washington has been canceled at the initiative of the US side.

A written commentary by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the next meeting as part of Russia-US consultations to normalize the activities of their respective diplomatic missions was canceled "at the initiative of American negotiators."

"We hope that the pause they took will not be too long," Zakharova went on to say, without providing a reason behind the cancellation.

US authorities have not immediately confirmed or commented on Zakharova's remarks.

Consultations aimed at normalizing the operations of Russian and US embassies and addressing obstacles in bilateral relations took place in the Turkish metropolis Istanbul on Feb. 27 and April 10, respectively.

Last week, Russia's Ambassador to the US Alexander Darchiev told the state news agency Tass that a third round of talks between the two countries would take place in Moscow "in the nearest future," but noted that the decision to move the venue for the talks to each other's capitals was "preliminary."