Trump-Putin meeting unlikely as US and Russia eye peace in Riyadh
Bloomberg reports that early next week in Riyadh, a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump may occur. This is the result of US-Russian negotiations in Saudi Arabia. However, Russian representative Yuri Ushakov believes this scenario is unlikely.
In Riyadh, the first round of talks between the US and Russia took place regarding a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. The meeting was preliminary and aimed to verify Moscow's intentions. US State Department spokeswoman, Tammy Bruce, emphasised that a breakthrough agreement should not be expected.
The war in Ukraine. What about the Trump-Putin meeting?
According to Bloomberg, arranging a meeting between the US and Russian presidents is one of the first challenges of these negotiations. However, Yuri Ushakov, a representative of the Russian delegation, stated that such a meeting is unlikely.
The talks in the Saudi capital are part of broader diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. Even though a meeting between Putin and Trump is uncertain, it remains an important element in the context of international efforts for peace.
During the talks in Riyadh, attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, both sides agreed to establish teams aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Both sides agreed to cooperate on economic and geopolitical issues. The European Union, though not present at the table, is to be included in future negotiations.
The meeting in Riyadh, though it did not produce breakthrough agreements, may prove to be an important step towards dialogue between Washington and Moscow. The US wants to verify whether Russia is serious about ending the war. Ukraine, despite not being invited and concerns related to this, remains a key element in the negotiations. President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasised that he will not recognise the results of the agreements without the participation of Kyiv's representatives.
