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US and Russia Confirm Meeting in Saudi Arabia to Discuss Ukraine Conflict
Senior US & Russian officials to meet in Riyadh, aiming to lay the groundwork for Ukraine peace talks. Concerns grow over potential US policy shift and sidelining of European allies.
ND
by News Desk
2025-02-17
US and Russia Confirm Meeting in Saudi Arabia to Discuss Ukraine Conflict

The United States and Russia have confirmed that their senior officials will meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss ending the ongoing war in Ukraine. This marks the first step in a series of discussions aimed at resolving the conflict, which has escalated into a full-scale war since 2022.

The US delegation will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. They will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov, a senior foreign policy adviser to President Vladimir Putin.

The two sides hope to lay the groundwork for future negotiations and potentially organize a meeting between the two presidents, Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin. Despite this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made it clear that Ukraine will not participate in the Riyadh talks or recognize any agreement reached without its involvement. He also plans to visit Saudi Arabia the following day for updates on the discussions.

The timing of this meeting has raised concerns, particularly in Europe, where leaders are alarmed by the shift in US policy. Republican leader Donald Trump has expressed interest in meeting Putin directly to discuss peace in Ukraine, leading to fears of US concessions to Russia, potentially sidelining European interests and weakening security architecture in Europe.

Russia’s perspective on the talks is clear. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov suggested that the involvement of European nations in the discussions would be premature. Foreign Minister Lavrov echoed this sentiment, stating that European participation was not necessary, as they have shown an interest in prolonging the war.

As the situation develops, European leaders are set to meet in Paris to discuss their response to these shifts in US policy, with concerns about potentially rewarding Russian aggression through peace negotiations. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares stated that a "war of aggression cannot be rewarded," and expressed skepticism about peace on the horizon.

With high stakes involved, the coming talks in Riyadh could have far-reaching implications on both global diplomacy and the future of the conflict in Ukraine.
Tagged:

SaudiArabia

GlobalPolitics

UkrainePeaceTalks

USRussiaDiplomacy
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