Russian and US Delegates Meet in Riyadh
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Adviser Yuri Ushakov arrived in Riyadh on Monday evening, leading the Russian delegation to the first round of talks with US representatives. The talks aim to restore the full range of bilateral relations, prepare for a meeting of state and government leaders and potentially discuss the resolution of the Ukraine conflict.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the US proposed the meeting and that Russia is participating to hear the US perspective on the Ukraine conflict and to revive the bilateral dialogue, which has been largely dormant for the past three years. The Russian and US teams will present the results of the meeting to their respective presidents, with further steps to be decided by Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
The US delegation in Riyadh includes US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, who telephoned Lavrov on Saturday, stated that the meeting’s goal is to restore communication with Russia. However, he did not comment on the specific topics to be discussed in relation to the Ukraine conflict or whether the US would consider lifting sanctions on Russia.
Putin highlighted during his phone call with Trump that Russia is not interested in a ceasefire, but rather in addressing the root causes of the conflict. Russia demands Ukraine’s neutrality, demilitarization and denazification, as well as the recognition of the territorial reality on the ground.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not invited to the talks in Riyadh. He emphasized that Kiev will not recognize any results of talks on Ukraine without Ukraine’s participation and that the country will not accept any decisions made without its involvement.