US and Russia to form teams for ending Ukraine conflict
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have agreed to form teams with the goal of swiftly ending Russia's war in Ukraine, according to U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. They also plan to cooperate on issues of shared geopolitical interest.
On Tuesday, a high-level meeting was held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, between delegations from the United States and Russia, led by Marco Rubio and Sergey Lavrov.
"One phone call followed by one meeting is not sufficient to establish enduring peace. We must take action, and today we took an important step forward," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce emphasized following Tuesday's talks and a previous phone conversation between President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
The spokesperson reported that Rubio and Lavrov have agreed to establish teams focused on swiftly ending Russia's war in Ukraine. They will also create a consultative mechanism to address sensitive issues in U.S.-Russia relations.
The politicians additionally agreed to work together on economic and investment opportunities that will emerge with the end of the war in Ukraine. Both countries plan to collaborate on matters of mutual geopolitical interest.
At the post-meeting conference, Marco Rubio stated that the European Union must be included at some point, as it has also imposed sanctions on Russia. The U.S. Secretary of State dismissed notions that Europe was being left out of the negotiations, stressing that any outcome must be acceptable to Ukraine, Russia, and the European Union.
"The goal is to bring an end to this conflict in a way that's fair, enduring, sustainable and acceptable to all parties involved," Rubio said. Meanwhile, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz noted that consultations with America's allies and Ukraine are taking place "daily," while also emphasizing the U.S. intent to act quickly to bring the conflict to an end.
Expectations were tempered before the meeting
Before the meeting, both sides highlighted that they did not expect specific agreements in Riyadh. Tammy Bruce explained that the discussion would essentially be "a follow up to President Donald Trump’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin," aimed at seeing if they can move forward and see what's possible. She underscored that Washington primarily wants to determine if the Russians are serious about wanting to resume dialogue.
Meanwhile, Russian presidential advisor Yuri Ushakov mentioned that Moscow and Washington have yet to agree on how to start negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine, and the Russian delegation is approaching the talks with a "business" attitude.
Neither Ukraine nor the European Union was invited to the talks, sparking outrage in both Kyiv and numerous European capitals. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he would not recognize the outcome of the talks in Riyadh, as any negotiations concerning Ukraine are pointless without Ukraine's involvement.
However, U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg assured on Monday that no one will impose a peace agreement with Russia on Zelensky. It will be the President of Ukraine and the country's people who will decide on peace with Russia.
