Washington mentioned Russia and the United States will name groups to negotiate a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as quickly as attainable, because the superpowers met on Tuesday (February 18, 2025) in Saudi Arabia with out Kyiv or the EU.
However, no specifics on a attainable assembly between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin emerged from the gathering in Riyadh, the primary high-level official Washington-Moscow talks since Ukraine’s 2022 invasion.
Some European leaders, alarmed by Trump’s overhaul of U.S. coverage on Russia, concern Washington will make critical concessions to Moscow and re-write the continent’s safety association in a Cold War-style deal between superpowers.
On Tuesday (February 18, 2025), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed to “appoint respective high-level teams to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible”, the State Department mentioned.
Washington added the perimeters had additionally agreed to “establish a consultation mechanism” to tackle “irritants” to Russia and America’s relationship, noting the perimeters would lay the groundwork for future cooperation.
Russia provided much less element on the result of the talks, saying: “We discussed and outlined our principled positions, and agreed that separate teams of negotiators will be in touch on this topic in due course.”
“It is still difficult to talk about a specific date for a meeting between the two leaders,” mentioned Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s overseas coverage aide.
Russia sketched out a few of its views on future talks to ending the preventing in Ukraine, arguing that settling the conflict required a reorganisation of Europe’s defence agreements.
Moscow has lengthy referred to as for the withdrawal of NATO forces from jap Europe, viewing the alliance as an existential risk on its flank.
“A lasting and long-term viable resolution is impossible without a comprehensive consideration of security issues on the continent,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov advised reporters on Tuesday, responding to a query by AFP.
Before invading Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow had demanded NATO pull out of central and jap Europe.
European leaders held an emergency assembly in Paris a day earlier, however struggled to put on a united entrance.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in Turkey on Tuesday, mentioned on the eve of the talks that he was not invited and wouldn’t “recognise any things or any agreements about us without us”.
Isolated by the West for 3 years, Russia is hoping for a “restoration” of ties with the United States and a comeback to the worldwide area.
At the Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, negotiations started with out seen handshakes.
‘How to start negotiations’
Both Russia and the United States have forged Tuesday’s assembly as the start of a probably prolonged course of and downplayed the prospects of a breakthrough.
Russia’s Ushakov advised state media the talks would focus on “how to start negotiations on Ukraine”.
Trump has mentioned he needs to finish the conflict in Ukraine, however has to date offered no concrete plan.
The United States has urged each side that concessions can have to be made if any peace talks materialise.
Russia on the eve of the summit mentioned there can’t be even a “thought” on it giving up territory seized from Ukraine.
The Kremlin mentioned Tuesday that Ukraine had the “right” to be part of the European Union, however not the NATO navy alliance.
It additionally mentioned Putin was “ready” to negotiate with Zelensky “if necessary”, although repeated its questioning of his “legitimacy” — a reference to his five-year time period expiring final yr, regardless of Ukrainian regulation not requiring elections throughout wartime.
The Ukrainian chief was in Turkey on Tuesday for discussions on the battle with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He is due in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, although he mentioned he doesn’t plan to meet with US or Russian officers.
‘Efforts toward peace’
The EU, reeling from a collection of speeches by Trump’s officers indicating Washington doesn’t see Moscow as a risk, mentioned it nonetheless needs to “partner” with the United States on any truce talks.
Trump’s administration has given no clear reply on whether or not the EU would participate and Moscow has mentioned it sees no level in Europe having a seat on the desk.
“Financially and militarily, Europe has brought more to the table than anyone else,” the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, mentioned on social media.
“We want to partner with the US to deliver a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.”
Key Russian ally China additionally welcomed “efforts towards peace” on Tuesday.
“At the same time, we hope that all parties and stakeholders can participate,” overseas ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun mentioned.
Russia has offered cautious optimism on the talks.
Published – February 18, 2025 07:43 pm IST
