US-Russia Talks Kick Off in Saudi Arabia Amid Trump’s Push to End Ukraine War

New Delhi, India: Top diplomats from the United States and Russia have started high-level talks in Saudi Arabia, aiming to initiate negotiations to end the ongoing three-year war in Ukraine and repair the strained relations between the two nations.

Key Figures in the Talks

The talks feature US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff engaging with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and senior Putin aide Yuri Ushakov. 

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and National Security Adviser Musaed al Alban joined the discussions but are expected to leave early.

Also Read: Ukraine, Europe Fear Being Sidelined As Trump Pursues Russia Negotiations To End War

Main Focus of the Talks

The two sides are expected to focus on ways to end the conflict in Ukraine and restore relations between the US and Russia. Behind closed doors, there may also be discussions about setting up a potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin . 

However, Ukraine and European countries have not been invited to the talks at this stage.

Also Read: Russia Claims Capture of Berezivka Village in Ukraine's Donetsk Region

US Position on the Talks

The Trump administration has stressed that this meeting is not intended to initiate formal negotiations but to determine whether Russia is “serious” about ending the war in Ukraine. The US aims to gauge Russia’s intentions before proceeding with any potential negotiations.

“This is a follow-up on that initial conversation between Putin and President Trump about perhaps if that first step is even possible, what the interests are, if this can be managed,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

While the US and Russia hold talks, European leaders have gathered in Paris for an emergency summit to agree on a unified strategy in response to Trump’s overtures towards Russia. 

The European leaders have agreed to increase investment in defense and provide enhanced security guarantees for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy , who is in Turkey for a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is absent from the talks in Riyadh. Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine was not informed about the discussions and cannot accept any agreements made about the country without its participation.

“I did not know anything about these talks in Riyadh,” Zelenskyy said, according to Ukrainian news agencies. “We cannot recognise any things or any agreements about us without us.”

Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia the day after the US-Russia negotiations but has no plans to meet with US or Russian officials during his trip, according to his spokesman.

Moscow has indicated that both Trump and Putin want to move past the “abnormal relations” that have characterized their countries' ties during the Ukraine war. Russia has made it clear that it sees no role for Europeans in any potential negotiations concerning the conflict.