US and Russia confirm Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia

Monday 17 February 2025 - 13:36

The United States and Russia have announced that their senior representatives will convene in Saudi Arabia to explore avenues for resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

According to statements from both the US State Department and the Kremlin, high-level officials will gather in Riyadh on Tuesday, following their arrival on Monday. The discussions aim to establish a foundation for future peace negotiations. The Russian delegation, which includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated that the talks will focus on potential peace negotiations and the possibility of a future summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Trump, who hinted over the weekend that a meeting with Putin could take place “very soon,” has positioned himself to engage directly with the Russian leader on resolving the war in Ukraine. According to Peskov, the upcoming meeting will address the broader scope of US-Russia relations. Additionally, Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, is expected to participate.

Secretary of State Rubio emphasized that the talks would be the first step in a series of negotiations aimed at ending the war, stating on CBS that “peace is a process, not a single meeting.”

Meanwhile, European leaders are set to gather in Paris to address Washington’s abrupt policy shift, which has excluded Europe from the peace process. Trump’s decision to negotiate directly with Putin has sparked concerns among European officials, who fear that concessions to Russia could compromise Europe’s security and its defense alliances with the US.

Peskov expressed Russia’s satisfaction with Trump’s approach, dismissing European participation as premature. Foreign Minister Lavrov criticized the idea of involving Europe, accusing European leaders of prioritizing continued conflict over peace.

Ahead of a European summit, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares warned against rewarding Russia’s aggression and stressed the importance of preventing any settlement that could embolden future invasions. Additionally, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, urged Trump not to broker a deal that undermines Ukraine or the European Union, denouncing any form of appeasement.