Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Tuesday that Russian and U.S. diplomats had held talks aimed at easing “troublesome” issues in relations between the two countries, though the main problems remain unresolved, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.

Ryabkov added that another round of such talks is expected in early spring 2026.

The two sides are discussing ways to resolve a number of disputes that have been hampering the work of their respective embassies. These discussions are separate from Russian-American negotiations over the war in Ukraine.

Russia has also conveyed its concerns to the United States regarding Washington’s actions in Venezuela, Ryabkov said, according to Russian news agencies.

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign to pressure Venezuela has included an increased U.S. military presence in the region and more than twenty military strikes on vessels allegedly involved in drug smuggling.