Talks in Saudi Arabia between representatives of the Russian government and US envoys would primarily be held to find out what the US government of President Donald Trump proposes to resolve the Ukraine conflict. This was announced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who will also attend this meeting.
As Kremlin Spokesman Dmitri Peskov announced on Monday, Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov, the main foreign policy advisor to President Vladimir Putin, will travel to Riyadh to meet with Trump’s envoys and prepare for an upcoming meeting of the two heads of state. According to Peskov, the talks will also focus on restoring bilateral relations.
The meeting in Riyadh was arranged after Putin and Trump had a 90-minute phone call last week, in which they discussed resolving the Ukraine conflict. When asked about his expectations for the talks, Lavrov said: “If we go to negotiations with our partners’ proposals, we want to hear them out.”
The minister also referred to the fact that Trump and Putin had agreed to “leave behind an absolutely abnormal period” in the relations between the two countries, which had barely communicated with each other over the past three years.
“The presidents agreed that it is necessary to resume the dialogue on all issues that can be resolved, one way or another, with the involvement of Russia and the US . therefore, we will listen to our American colleagues and, of course, be prepared to respond to their statements. Then we will report to our state and government leaders, who will make decisions on future steps” Lavrov said.
Trump had stated that he wants to end the Ukraine conflict quickly. His team reportedly plans to achieve a ceasefire by the end of April. After his talks with Putin, Trump had hinted that he does not consider a NATO membership for Ukraine “appropriate” and added that Kiev has very little chance of recovering the territory it lost to Russia over the past decade.
Russia has consistently emphasized that it seeks a permanent solution to the conflict, not a temporary ceasefire. Moscow insists that Ukraine must commit to neutrality, denazification and demilitarization and recognize the territorial reality on the ground.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky will also travel to Riyadh on Wednesday. As Zelensky’s Spokesman emphasized on Monday, this visit has been planned for a long time.