US and Russian representatives have held crucial talks in Riyadh, the first of their kind since the Cold War. The meetings are expected to focus on resolving the Ukraine conflict and restoring bilateral relations. A potential summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin could be on the horizon.
Russia has stated that the talks will primarily focus on restoring bilateral ties, while the US is expected to push for a resolution to the Ukraine conflict. Ukraine’s leadership, not involved in the talks, is skeptical about the outcome, believing that no peace agreement can be reached on its behalf in Riyadh.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet with high-ranking US officials, including Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, to discuss the end of the Ukraine war and the restoration of “the entire complex” of Russia-US relations. The two sides have already discussed the removal of trade and investment barriers between the two nations.
Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian state fund, praised Trump as a problem-solver, highlighting his team’s ability to quickly and effectively tackle major challenges.
The talks come after European leaders met in Paris to unite on a strategy for the Ukraine crisis, following Trump’s sudden push for immediate talks with Putin after a phone call last week. European leaders have vowed to increase defense spending and provide security guarantees for Ukraine, with the Dutch Prime Minister emphasizing the need for European cooperation in securing any agreement.
The meeting in Riyadh marks a significant shift from the approach of the previous US administration, which had publicly distanced itself from Moscow under President Joe Biden.