U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commit to collaboration on issues of mutual geopolitical interest, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced on Tuesday following talks between the delegations of both countries in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The politicians also confirmed their agreement to work together on economic matters and investment opportunities that will arise once the war in Ukraine concludes, reported IAR, the news agency of Polish Radio.
Rubio calls US-Russia talks the 'first step' in a long process to resolve the Ukraine war
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the talks in Riyadh are the start of a lengthy process aimed at ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a way that is acceptable to all parties. He emphasized that ending the conflict would require difficult diplomacy and that only Donald Trump could bring the parties to the point of serious discussion.
Rubio also noted that for a resolution to happen, all parties must agree, pointing out it has been more than three years since the last regular contact between the U.S. and Russia.
Regarding the economic sanctions imposed on Russia since the war began, Rubio stated that in order to end the war, compromises from all sides will be necessary, and this opens the door for the European Union to join the negotiation table. He emphasized that sanctions are a direct result of the war and, as such, the European Union should also be included in the negotiations. "We are not negotiating this now," he said.
Without Ukraine at the negotiations table: Rubio says EU must eventually join peace talks
According to the U.S. Department of State, both sides agreed to set up a consultation mechanism to resolve diplomatic issues and work toward normalizing their embassies. They also committed to forming high-level teams to find a lasting solution to the Ukraine conflict and explore future economic and geopolitical cooperation once the war ends.
On February 18, 2025, U.S. and Russian officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss restoring bilateral relations and preparing for potential negotiations on the Ukraine conflict. Photo: RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE/PAP/EPA
U.S. Department of State in an official statement emphasized that “one phone call followed by one meeting is not sufficient to establish enduring peace,” underscoring the need for continued efforts. US officials also expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud for hosting the talks.
During the meeting in Riyadh, Secretary Rubio was joined by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Ambassador Steve Witkoff, while Foreign Minister Lavrov was accompanied by Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov. Ukrainian and European representatives were absent from the discussions. President Zelensky announced that Kyiv would not recognize any agreements made in Riyadh without its participation.
BBC reports that Lavrov concluded the news conference by stating that today's talks were "not unsuccessful."
Source: IAR/state.gov/BBC/X/@statedeptspox/@PR24_pl
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