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On Tuesday, senior diplomats from the United States and Russia convened in Saudi Arabia for a pivotal round of discussions, the first since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The talks were seen as a rare opportunity to address the deepening rift between the two nuclear powers, seeking to reset their fraught diplomatic ties.
Despite the low expectations for major progress during this initial high-level meeting between the US and Russia since President Donald Trump’s tenure, the very fact that the talks are happening has raised alarms in Ukraine and across Europe. Washington’s recent efforts to engage with the Kremlin have left many uneasy, wondering how such shifts might influence the course of the war and regional stability.
The session at Diriyah Palace in Riyadh opened without any formal greetings or statements, a clear indication of the tense nature of the talks. Across the table from Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sat US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, his stern expression mirrored by Lavrov’s. Rubio was supported by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, ensuring a well-represented American delegation.
The potential for a summit between Trump and Putin was another key focus, with preparations likely to take center stage. Trump has been pushing for a swift resolution to the Ukrainian conflict, while Russia sees the discussions as an opportunity to extract concessions from the United States.
Read also: US Trying To Appease Putin, Ukraine’s Zelensky Alleges
Zelensky said Kyiv “did not know anything about” the talks in Riyadh, according to Ukrainian news agencies, and that it “cannot recognise any things or any agreements about us without us”.
As the Riyadh meeting got underway, the Kremlin said a lasting settlement in Ukraine would be “impossible” without addressing the wider issue of European security and that Ukraine had the “sovereign right” to join the European Union but that it was opposed to it joining NATO.
“A lasting and long-term viable resolution is impossible without a comprehensive consideration of security issues on the continent,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding Putin was ready to talk to Zelensky “if necessary”.
In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun welcomed “efforts towards peace” in Ukraine, adding that “at the same time, we hope that all parties and stakeholders can participate” in talks.
