US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia last nearly 5 hours - Key results

Contents:

• Putin and Trump to meet? First details of US-Russia talks
• What the US says about the talks’ outcome
• Russian reaction to the talks
• Fox News reported on a 3-stage peace plan

Putin and Trump to meet? First details of US-Russia talks

The US delegation was represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, Mike Waltz, and the president’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.

On the Russian side, the participants included Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the Kremlin’s chief foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, and the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev.

The discussions covered both US-Russia relations and efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine. However, even while the talks were ongoing, Russia continued to issue ultimatums in its usual manner.

For instance, Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated that Ukraine's NATO membership is unacceptable. At the same time, the Kremlin claimed that it sees no obstacles to Ukraine joining the EU, as it is not a military alliance.

The first comments on the meeting’s outcome came from Russian representatives. Ushakov stated that negotiations between Russia and the US on Ukraine would begin at the appropriate time.

Bloomberg, in its article on the delegations’ meeting, reported that a potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin could take place as soon as next week. However, this would require sufficient progress in the negotiations.

Nevertheless, Ushakov later clarified that it is difficult to name a specific date for a Trump-Putin meeting, adding that it is unlikely to happen next week.

He also noted that overall, the negotiations in Saudi Arabia "went well," and that Moscow and Washington had allegedly agreed to consider each other’s interests.

According to Ushakov, while it is too early to say that Russia and the US are moving closer, the issue was discussed.

He further claimed that separate groups of Russian and American negotiators would begin contact with Ukraine at the appropriate time. The composition of the Russian group will be determined personally by Putin.

Another Russian representative, Dmitriev, briefly described the talks in Riyadh as positive.

What the US says about the talks’ outcome

The first statement from the American side came from US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. She said the US and Russian delegations agreed to "irritants to our bilateral relationship with the objective of taking steps necessary to normalize the operation of our respective diplomatic missions."

Bruce also stated that both sides agreed to appoint high-level teams for negotiations on Ukraine.

She said that the US and Russia will also "lay the groundwork for future cooperation on matters of mutual geopolitical interest and historic economic and investment opportunities which will emerge from a successful end to the conflict in Ukraine."

According to the State Department’s statement, the parties at today’s meetings commit to continuing cooperation.

"President Trump wants to stop the killing; the United States wants peace and is using its strength in the world to bring countries together. President Trump is the only leader in the world who can get Ukraine and Russia to agree to that," the statement reads.

Regarding the timeline, the State Department noted that "one phone call followed by one meeting is not sufficient to establish enduring peace," emphasizing that this is only the beginning of the process.

Later, Rubio, Waltz, and Witkoff held a joint press conference summarizing the talks with the Russian delegation. They stated that no date has been set for a Trump-Putin meeting yet, but it is expected.

The American delegation, following the meeting, stated that all parties (Ukraine and Russia) must agree on the final decision regarding the end of the war. According to Rubio, the meeting in Saudi Arabia was the first step towards peace. He also emphasized that the European Union must be involved in the process.

RBC-Ukraine below outlines the statements made by the US diplomats.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio:

• Today is the first step of a long and difficult journey but an important one.
• In order to bring an end to any conflict there has to be concessions made by all sides
• The goal is to bring an end to this conflict in a way that’s fair, enduring, sustainable and acceptable to all parties involved
• Whether we can optimally reach that outcome will obviously depend on every side's of the conflict willingness to agree the certain things

Rubio also said that Russia and the United States have agreed to restore the previous number of the staff of the embassies in Moscow and Washington. He added that if diplomatic channels do not function, it will be difficult to communicate consistently and effectively, which could derail all discussions on Ukraine.

Additionally, Rubio hinted at the future role of the EU in resolving the war in Ukraine, saying that the EU will eventually have to come to the negotiating table because they imposed sanctions too.

US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz:

This needs to be a permanent end to the war and not a temporary end as we’ve seen in the past

If you’re going to bring both sides together, you have to talk to both sides

The practical reality is that there’s going to be some discussion of territory and there’s going to be discussion of security guarantees, those are just fundamental basics

We have, as a first principle, a European-led security guarantee. We all have to make those tough decisions, we all have to contribute to our common defense, and we expect that – this to be a two-way street for our European allies. And the fact that both the United Kingdom, France, and others are talking about contributing more forcefully to Ukraine’s security we think is a good thing.

According to The Guardian, regarding several detailed matters, such as whether any peace talks could include proposals to recognize occupied Crimea as Russian territory or lift US sanctions on Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, the American delegation is attempting to avoid a clear response. Instead, they stated they were not ready to negotiate or discuss every element as the parties are not yet at that level of conversation.

Russian reactions to the talks

Later, statements from Lavrov, who led the Russian delegation, were released. He claimed that the US had allegedly offered Russia a moratorium on strikes against energy facilities, but Moscow refused.

"We explained that we have never endangered the civilian energy supply systems and that our targets have only been facilities directly serving the Ukrainian Armed Forces," Lavrov said.

He also mentioned that Washington and Moscow had reached an agreement on expediting the approval of ambassadors for both countries, which American representatives had indicated the day before. According to Lavrov, deputy ministers would meet to discuss the removal of artificial barriers in the operations of diplomatic missions.

Lavrov further claimed that both sides agreed to establish a process for Ukrainian war resolution as soon as possible. The US side will inform Russia of the name and position of their representative, after which Russia will present its own.

Lavrov added that the meeting participants agreed to create conditions for the full restoration and expansion of the cooperation in various areas.

Fox News reported on a 3-stage peace plan

Meanwhile, White House press pool correspondent Jacqui Heinrich from Fox News, citing diplomatic sources, reported that the US and Russia have allegedly developed a three-stage peace plan.

The plan supposedly includes a ceasefire, followed by elections in Ukraine, and then the signing of a peace agreement.

"Multiple foreign diplomatic sources tell FOX the US and Russia consider holding new elections in Ukraine to be a key condition for the success of the settlement process. This piece is certain to stir controversy, as Russia does not hold true elections and the Ukrainians balk at the prospect of installing a pro-Russia puppet president," Heinrich reported.

Interestingly, similar messages about the so-called peace settlement plan for the Russia-Ukraine war had previously circulated through the network of European Parliament member Serhii Lagodynskyi, who, in turn, referred to his own sources.

It is important to note that there has been no official confirmation from the US side, nor any comments on the matter at this point.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated he had not seen reports that the countries have agreed on a three-stage peace plan for Ukraine.

In summary, this meeting marked the widest contact between the US and Russia since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The last time Lavrov and then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken briefly communicated was nearly two years ago at the G-20 summit in India.

Furthermore, no Ukrainian official representatives were present at the meeting. Ukrainian officials clarified that, at this stage, there was nothing on the table for discussion from Ukraine's side. Kyiv warns that Putin is not interested in a peaceful settlement but seeks a pause to rearm.

Meanwhile, Trump aims to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible. However, Zelenskyy pointed out that the key issue is having strong security guarantees, otherwise, Putin will return with an even larger army.

Additionally, President Zelenskyy previously stated that Ukraine was unaware of the preparations for the Washington-Moscow meeting in Saudi Arabia and would not accept any agreements made between the US and Russia regarding its future without Ukraine’s participation.

In light of the Russia-US talks, Zelenskyy postponed his scheduled visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, February 19. He explained his decision, stating that he did not want any "coincidences" and didn't want partners to "get the wrong impression". The US delegation remains in Saudi Arabia after its talks with Russia, while the Russian delegation will leave Riyadh.

"I don’t know who will be staying there, who will be leaving. I don’t care. What I do care about is that our partners do not get the wrong impression about us. I don’t want coincidences, and that’s why I will not go to Saudi Arabia," Zelenskyy said, adding that his visit was postponed to March 10.

Sources: The Guardian, NBC News, CNN, Reuters, Bloomberg, Fox News.