Russia on Friday announced that it would appoint a new ambassador to the United States, signaling a decrease in tension between the two superpowers as the U.S. aims to end the war in Ukraine. 

The announcement occurred the same day President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, where negotiations plummeted after a tense exchange resorted to heated arguments that prompted the White House to cancel a joint press conference.

Russia's foreign ministry announced that it would appoint Alexander Darchiyev, a career diplomat who currently leads the ministry's North America department, to the role in Washington. Darchiyev was approved by the U.S. after a meeting in Istanbul on Thursday, The Guardian reported.

"[Officials in Istanbul] agreed on joint steps to ensure the uninterrupted financing of diplomatic missions in both countries and to create appropriate conditions for diplomats to carry out their duties effectively," foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said. 

Russia has not had an ambassador to the U.S. since October. 

The meeting on Thursday also focused on improving the relationship between the U.S. and Russia, and Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the new administration for having a "pragmatic" worldview.

"There is a reciprocal mood to work to restore intergovernmental ties and to gradually resolve the huge number of systemic and strategic problems that have built up in the world’s security architecture,” Putin said.

“We understand that not everyone is happy with the resumption of Russian-American contacts," Putin continued. "Some Western elites are still determined to maintain instability in the world, and these forces will try to disrupt or compromise the dialogue that has begun."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.