Meeting in Saudi Arabia does not mean start of negotiations on Ukraine – US State Department
Illustrative photo: US State Department made a statement about the meeting in Saudi Arabia (Getty Images)
The meeting between American and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia should not be seen as progress in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, states US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, BBC reports.
According to her, the meeting in Saudi Arabia will be a "first step" for the US to determine whether Russia is serious about starting negotiations to end its war against Ukraine.
She clarified that the talks between the US and Russian delegations will be a continuation of negotiations between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"I don't think people should view this as something that is about details or moving forward in some kind of a negotiation," Bruce noted.
She also did not directly answer whether the talks in Saudi Arabia could facilitate a meeting between Trump and Putin.
Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Tomorrow, February 18, US and Russian officials will hold a meeting in Riyadh. One of the topics will be the settlement of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already stated that Ukraine will not accept the results of such negotiations, as the Ukrainian side will not be represented.
Meanwhile, Kremlin aide Yuriy Ushakov stated that the Russians want to reach an agreement with the US on "how to start negotiations on Ukraine."
