Rubio and Lavrov discuss thaw in US‑Russia relations
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, emphasized President Donald Trump's readiness to end the conflict in Ukraine. The two officials also discussed the possibilities for cooperation on other issues, according to the State Department.
"The Secretary re-affirmed President Trump’s commitment to finding an end to the conflict in Ukraine. In addition, they discussed the opportunity to potentially work together on a number of other bilateral issues," the American diplomatic department stated in a concise three-sentence statement following Saturday's conversation between the U.S. and Russian foreign ministers.
The American statement is more limited than what the Russian Foreign Ministry issued regarding the conversation between the heads of diplomacy, which hinted at the possibility of a broader thaw in Washington-Moscow relations.
"Lavrov and Rubio confirmed their readiness to work together to restore mutually respectful interstate dialogue in accordance with the tone set by the presidents (...). They agreed on regular contacts, including those for preparations for a Russian-American summit meeting," according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The Russian diplomatic department also noted that both politicians supported maintaining communication channels to "resolve the problems that have accumulated in U.S.-Russian relations." The statement further mentioned a "mutual commitment" to cooperate on international matters, including the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.
Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Rubio will participate in talks with Russians in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. delegation will also include Special Envoy for the Middle East Steven Witkoff and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. The date of the meeting has not yet been announced, but according to Rubio's travel plan, he is scheduled to be in the Middle East from Saturday to Tuesday, February 18.
