US Secretary of State Marco Rubio believes that Western countries must lift sanctions against Russia if the Ukraine conflict is resolved. This was stated by the politician after meetings with the Russian delegation in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
During the press conference, Rubio emphasized that the restrictions imposed on Russia were partly due to the Ukraine conflict. The European Union has also introduced sanctions and will need to discuss the topic at the negotiating table, he added.
Rubio also highlighted that all parties must make concessions to end the conflict. Washington is currently negotiating with both sides of the Ukraine conflict, including Kyiv.
Regarding the meeting with the Russian delegation, the Secretary of State added that Moscow showed a willingness to engage in serious work. He also reiterated that solving the conflict in Ukraine will not be an easy task.
Russia was represented at the meeting in the Saudi capital by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President’s Adviser Yuri Ushakov. The US team consisted of, in addition to Rubio, CIA Chief John Ratcliffe, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.