The US-Russia talks, held in Riyadh on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, concluded after four and half hours of discussions, reported Reuters.
The meeting aimed to pave the way for a summit between the US President, Donald Trump, and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to improve US-Russia ties and put an end to the war in Ukraine.
Important Step
In a statement, the US State Department Spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the talks, which she called “an important step forward” to establish enduring peace.
Furthermore, Bruce said that both sides agreed to establish a consultation mechanism to address “irritants” to their bilateral relationship. They also agreed to appoint respective teams to work out a path towards ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible “in a way that is enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all sides.”
The Spokesperson added that both sides agreed to lay the groundwork for future cooperation on matters of mutual geopolitical interest and historic and economic investment opportunities which will emerge from a successful end to the conflict in Ukraine. Moreover, parties to Tuesday’s meeting pledged to remain engaged to make sure the process moves forward in a timely and productive manner.
All Parties Engaged
After the meeting conclusion, the US State Secretary, Marco Rubio, said that all parties involved in the Ukraine conflict have to be OK with the solution to end it, according to Reuters.
Rubio described the meeting with Russian officials in Riyadh as the “first step of a long and difficult journey, with the goal of a fair and enduring end to the war in Ukraine.” He added that the European Union (EU) would get involved at some point and that no one was being sidelined.
High-level Talks in Riyadh
On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia hosted high-level US-Russia talks, upon the directives of the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to promote international peace and security, according to a statement by the Saudi Foreign Ministry.
Rubio leads the US delegation, which includes the US National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, and the US Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. Meanwhile, Lavrov heads Russia’s delegation, which involves Russia’ top foreign policy adviser, Yury Ushakov, and the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev.
The Russian side stated that the talks “went well” and discussed conditions needed for the expected Trump-Putin summit, noting that it is unlikely to take place next week.
