MOSCOW, June 25, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The Kremlin on Wednesday said Washington was not yet ready to remove barriers to the work of their respective embassies, as efforts to normalise relations between the two countries stall.

Russia and the United States sought to reset diplomatic and business ties after Donald Trump returned to the White House promising a swift end to the conflict in Ukraine, but the US leader became annoyed with both sides after no quick ceasefire was reached.

"Despite some progress, the American side is not yet ready to seriously address the difficulties hampering the embassies' work," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists, including AFP, at a briefing.

Relations between the two nuclear powers fell to the lowest point since the Cold War after Russia sent troops into Ukraine and the West slapped Moscow with unprecedented sanctions.

Both sides have been operating their embassies with skeleton staff for years due to diplomatic expulsions.

Moscow and Washington held two meetings in a bid to restore their fractured diplomatic ties, but neither resulted in a breakthrough.

Earlier in June, Russia's foreign ministry said Washington had cancelled a third round of diplomatic talks with Moscow and that it hoped the pause would 
not "last for too long".