NewsU.S. and Russia engage in crucial talks amidst conflict

U.S. and Russia engage in crucial talks amidst conflict

In the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, the first high-level meeting between U.S. and Russian delegations since the start of the war in Ukraine will take place on Tuesday. The talks will focus on rebuilding bilateral relations and preparing for potential peace negotiations regarding Ukraine.

An official meeting between the US and Russian delegations will take place in Riyadh for the first time since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
An official meeting between the US and Russian delegations will take place in Riyadh for the first time since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
Images source: © East News | TATYANA MAKEYEVA
Malwina Gadawa

The heads of diplomacy will lead the delegations from both countries: Marco Rubio for the U.S. and Sergey Lavrov for Russia. On the Russian side, the president's advisor Yuri Ushakov will also be present, while representing the U.S. will be the White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and the U.S. Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

U.S. and Russian representatives to meet in Riyadh

Both parties involved in Tuesday's meeting have emphasised that they do not expect any concrete agreements in Riyadh. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce explained that the discussion would primarily build on the Trump-Putin phone call, focusing on assessing potential next steps and exploring possible avenues for progress.

She emphasised that Washington primarily wants to ascertain if "the Russians are serious about wanting to resume dialogue".

Meanwhile, Yuri Ushakov mentioned that Moscow and Washington have yet to agree on how to commence negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine, and the Russian delegation approaches the talks with a "business" attitude.

Talks without Ukraine and the EU

Neither Ukraine nor the European Union received invitations to the talks, which has caused outrage in both Kyiv and most European capitals. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that he would not recognise the outcome of talks in Riyadh, as any negotiations concerning Ukraine would be futile without its involvement.

Nonetheless, the U.S. Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, assured on Monday that no one would impose a peace agreement with Russia on Zelensky and that it would be up to the Ukrainian president and the people of that country to decide on peace with Russia.

He emphasized that involving everyone in negotiations for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia would not be a wise approach.

In contrast to Tuesday's meeting, meetings of European leaders convened by French President Emmanuel Macron were held in Paris on Monday. After the meeting, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa declared that Ukraine deserves peace through strength, with strong security guarantees.

Related content