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Russia and the United States, in a rare moment of consensus, agreed on Tuesday to establish teams dedicated to negotiating a resolution to the war in Ukraine. The decision immediately drew Kyiv’s ire, with Ukrainian officials strongly opposing the move and warning that any settlement reached without their involvement would be unacceptable.
After the first round of high-level discussions between Washington and Moscow since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, U.S. officials noted that European nations would eventually need to be included in the negotiations. While no specific timeline was given, the remarks reflected a recognition of Europe’s central role in any lasting resolution to the conflict.
With President Donald Trump’s administration redefining U.S. policy on Russia, some European leaders are expressing deep concerns that Washington could negotiate major compromises with Moscow, altering Europe’s security structure in ways that echo Cold War diplomacy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced his outrage at being excluded from the lengthy Riyadh talks, arguing that any genuine effort to end the war must be “fair” and include key European nations. He also highlighted Turkey’s willingness to serve as a venue for future negotiations.
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“This will only be feeding Putin’s appetite,” a Ukrainian senior official requesting anonymity told AFP, referring to the launch of talks without Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed to “appoint respective high-level teams to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible”, the US State Department said.
Washington added that the sides had also agreed to “establish a consultation mechanism” to address “irritants” to Russia and America’s relationship, noting the sides would lay the groundwork for future cooperation.
Yuri Ushakov, President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy aide, confirmed the negotiating teams’ appointment but said it was “difficult” to discuss a date for a potential Trump-Putin meeting.
