What is the significance of the recent US-Russian diplomatic talks?

The recent talks represent the first senior-level meeting between the United States and Russia in four years, and the first encounter between President Trump's new national security team and the Russian delegation. The primary focus was on building a bilateral relationship, with both sides addressing embassy issues in their respective capitals and establishing a path forward for further negotiations. Both countries are appointing senior negotiators and developing a framework that could lead to a high-level meeting between Presidents Putin and Trump. While these initial discussions were described as fruitful, they merely represent the first step in what will become more challenging negotiations once specific demands from both sides come into play.