US-Russia negotiations begin in Saudi Arabia: Details and key topics revealed

14:12 AM Kyiv time. The Russians have announced the end of the negotiations. The delegations of Russia and the United States have concluded their talks in Riyadh after 4.5 hours.

Bloomberg reports that the delegations may have discussed a possible Trump-Putin meeting as early as next week.

Meanwhile, Russian representative Ushakov stated that "it is difficult to name a specific date for a meeting between Putin and Trump at this time," and that such a meeting is unlikely to take place next week.

According to him, the negotiations "went quite well," and Moscow and Washington have allegedly "agreed to take each other's interests into account."

"It is still difficult to say that Russia and the US are getting closer, but there was a discussion about it," Ushakov claims.

Another Russian negotiator, Dmitriev, called the talks in Riyadh 'positive.'

The American side has not yet commented on the meeting.

13:11 AM Kyiv time. The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced the end of the "first session" of negotiations in Riyadh.

According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the American and Russian delegations have "moved on to a working lunch."

Reportedly, "after lunch," the Russian and US delegations will return to the negotiating table for the "final session."

12:24 AM Kyiv time. The delegations have resumed negotiations in Riyadh after a 15-minute break, according to pro-Kremlin media.

12:01 AM Kyiv time. A "short break" was announced during the talks, and discussions will resume later, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

11:56 AM Kyiv time. The negotiations have been ongoing for more than two hours. The Russian side claims that it is counting on the possibility of American companies returning to the Russian oil market.

According to The New York Times, a member of the Russian delegation, Dmitriev, stated that he "would seek to restart economic cooperation with the United States to “rebuild communication, rebuild trust, rebuild success." He hopes for the return of American oil companies, which, in his words, "have had very successful business in Russia."

He also claims that American companies have allegedly lost over $300 billion due to their withdrawal from Russian markets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The agency, citing Ukrainian officials, also notes that Zelenskyy will be in Saudi Arabia this week, but Ukraine was not invited to the US-Russia negotiations. Meanwhile, Putin’s adviser, Ushakov, also stated that "there were no plans for a three-way meeting with the Ukrainians."

10:11 AM Kyiv time. Russia believes that “progress” in negotiations with the US is possible in the next 2-3 months.

This was stated by the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev.

According to him, Russia and the United States “need to move on to joint projects, including in the Arctic.” He accused the former Biden administration of “lacking the desire to understand Russia's concerns.” He said, "Now the United States is ready to listen and understand Russia's position.”

At 09:31 AM Kyiv time, pro-Kremlin Russian media outlets reported that US-Russia negotiations had officially begun in Saudi ArArabia'sapital.

US-Russia talks started: What's known

Negotiators from Washington, who had already arrived in Saudi Arabia the day before, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Trump's Special Representative for Middle East Affairs Steve Witkoff. These officials have already held several meetings, including a discussion with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

Topics covered in yesterday's US-Saudi talks included strengthening bilateral partnerships and Middle Eastern affairs.

Afterward, the US administration officially confirmed that Rubio, Waltz, and Witkoff would meet on Tuesday with the Russian delegation, which includes Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin's representative Yuri Ushakov.

The meeting is taking place in Riyadh, ahead of a potential future meeting between Trump and Putin on Ukraine.

Moscow's position ahead of the talks

According to The Washington Post, Russia's priorities in negotiations with the US over the resolution of the war in Ukraine will likely including the lifting some sanctions on Russia, including those targeting senior officials and major businessmen, and easing restrictions in the energy sector

The agency cites an unnamed Russian scholar close to senior diplomats, who suggested that Putin might consider this part of a "c" promise" "o "and "demonstrate his willingness to halt further territorial expansion in Ukraine."

"However, Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and a member of the Russian delegation, told CNN that sanctions relief will not be part of the negotiations in Riyadh.

"I think it's very important to build bridges. I think US-Russia relations are very important for the world," Dmitriev said.

Even though official US-Russia negotiations on Ukraine were set to begin on Tuesday, Dmitriev claimed he allegedly "had some meeting with Trump's team members" in Riyadh the day before.

"AlI can say is that they (the Trump administration) are great problem solvers. And I think President Trump is a great problem solver," he said.

According to Dmitriev, US negotiators have not yet made any direct promises to Russia.

"I think the promise is let's have a dialogue, let's figure out the best solution for our countries, for others, for the global community," he added.

Bloomberg previously reported that the Kremlin handpicked Dmitriev as a negotiator to focus on restoring US-Russia economic ties.

Dmitriev, a Stanford and Harvard-educated financier with connections to the Putin family, has extensive business contacts in the Middle East, including in Saudi Arabia. He was also involved in negotiations over the release of American teacher Mark Fogel, who was sentenced in Russia on drug smuggling charges.

Washington's position

According to The Washington Post, a key priority for the Russian delegation in Riyadh is likely to be restoring diplomatic channels, which were severely limited after Russia invaded Ukraine. The agency noted that Russia has had no ambassador to the United States since October 2024.

Meanwhile, US State Department representative Tammy Bruce stated that the meeting's purpose is to assess whether more substantive negotiations on Ukraine can be held under US mediation.

However, the Kremlin has portrayed the talks with Washington more broadly. Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, stated that the negotiations will focus on "restoring the full spectrum of US-Russia relations."

Media reports highlight that for Lavrov, who is leading the Russian delegation, this meeting marks his first direct talks with a US Secretary of State since 2022. His last conversation with an American Secretary of State was in January 2022, when Antony Blinken discussed European security and de-escalation in Ukraine. However, those talks failed, and a month later, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Following the invasion, senior officials in the Biden administration largely avoided direct talks with their Russian counterparts—though Blinken and Lavrov had a brief exchange at the G20 summit in India in 2023.

Now, however, Russia is negotiating with Trump's new administration, which recently sent Special Representative Witkoff to Moscow to meet with Putin—a visit that reportedly helped facilitate the release of an American prisoner in Russia.

Western media also noted that Lavrov would be accompanied to Riyadh by longtime Putin aide Yuri Ushakov. The Russian leader has reportedly tasked Ushakov with drafting a "new course" for US-Russia relations and laying the groundwork for a potential Trump-Putin summit.

Background

The negotiations between Washington and Moscow in Riyadh are taking place just days after US Vice President J.D. Vance and other high-ranking officials harshly criticized the European Union.

Additionally, Trump's Special Representative Keith Kellogg made it clear to European leaders that they "will not have a seat at the negotiating table."

As RBC-Ukraine previously reported following the Munich Security Conference, Kellogg's message was essentially:

"You Europeans already tried to negotiate, you created the Minsk agreements – and we all see where that led. Now we, the Americans, will negotiate and show you how it’s done."

European leaders, however, reject this notion, emphasizing the importance of preventing concessions to Russia before negotiations even begin.

Meanwhile, Ukraine insists that both Europe and the US must be at the negotiating table.

Some politicians are also alarmed by statements from US officials indicating that Ukraine should not expect a return to its 2014 borders. At the latest Ramstein meeting, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed such a scenario as unrealistic and rejected Ukraine's potential NATO membership.

In Europe, concerns have also been raised that the US might negotiate with Russia without Ukraine's involvement. However, Trump administration officials deny this, explaining that Washington will first hold bilateral talks with Moscow and then with Kyiv to hear both sides before presenting the outcome to Trump.

Washington is reportedly set first to hold bilateral negotiations with Moscow, followed by talks with Kyiv, to hear both sides' positions and then present everything to Trump. Meanwhile, a joint round of negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, as reported by NBC, citing two American officials, will take place after these bilateral tracks are completed.

Additionally, Trump has already held phone conversations with both Putin and Zelenskyy. The US President stated that he intends to meet with the President of Ukraine and the Russian dictator, who, in his view, wants to end the war.

However, Zelenskyy believes that Putin does not want to stop the war in Ukraine, but he fears the American leader. The Ukrainian President warned that no one, including the US President, should take Putin’s words at face value.

Zelenskyy also emphasized that no agreement can be reached without Ukraine’s presence. Speaking with journalists in the UAE, the President stated that Kyiv had no knowledge of the US-Russia negotiations in Saudi Arabia and would not recognize any agreements concerning Ukraine that are made without Ukraine’s participation.

Sources: NBC News, CNN, The Washington Post.