Negotiations between Russia and the United States, led by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, concluded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The bilateral talks, which lasted about 4.5 hours, were described as productive by Russian officials, though significant challenges remain, particularly regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine.
According to Yuri Ushakov, a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the discussions “went well” and covered a range of critical issues.
There was a very serious conversation on all the issues we wanted to raise.
The future of Ukraine was a central topic during the talks. The US has expressed interest in securing access to the country’s vast mineral resources. Meanwhile, Ukraine itself was not represented at the negotiations, a point of contention for Kyiv.
Ushakov stated that both sides agreed to consider each other’s interests and work toward improving bilateral relations. He also mentioned that Moscow and Washington would continue efforts to arrange a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump.
However, the top aide cautioned that such a summit was unlikely to occur next week, as “intensive work” was still required to prepare for it.
Important step forward
The US State Department characterised the meeting as an “important step forward.” Lavrov and Rubio agreed to establish high-level negotiating teams to discuss a potential settlement to the war in Ukraine “as soon as possible in a way that is enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all sides.”
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier expressed skepticism about any peace talks that exclude Kyiv. He stated that discussions about Ukraine’s future without its participation would “bring no result.”
In addition to the settlement teams, the US and Russia agreed to create a consultation mechanism aimed at addressing “irritants” in bilateral relations. The mechanism is intended to normalise the operations of diplomatic missions and lay the groundwork for future cooperation on issues of mutual geopolitical and economic interest.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and a key Russian negotiator, added that US and Russian officials held separate discussions on economic cooperation, including global energy prices.
