High level diplomats of the US and Russia talked in Saudi Arabia about the bilateral relationship and a possible end to the Moscow war in Ukraine, in conversations that could lay the foundations for a future encounter between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
The main diplomats of the United States and Russia held Tuesday in Saudi Arabia “constructive” and “very serious” conversations about the complex bilateral relations and a possible end to the Russian war in Ukraine.
The delegations, headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister, Serguei Lavrov, described the conversations as an initial step that could lay the foundations for direct conversations between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, for which There is still no date.
“The goal is a fair, lasting and sustainable end for war in Ukraine,” Rubio told the press at the end of the meeting. The head of American diplomacy acknowledged that this is only the first step of a “long and difficult path.”
The spokeswoman of the State Department, Tammy Bruce, said that the two parties agreed for all parties “.
For his part, Russian negotiator Yuri Ushakov told the press after more than four hours of dialogue that this “was a very serious conversation about all the issues we wanted to play.”
Rubio was accompanied by the envoy to East Media Steve Wikoff and national security advisor Mike Waltz, who said the conversations were “constructive, positive and based on the search for solutions.” He also added that Moscow negotiations will include discussions about territories and security guarantees.
“I think this conversation is very important (…) we have not had contact with Russia, and I think it is an important step on the way to achieve the end of the conflict,” said Rubio, while added that he added that he added that A successful result will depend on the parties involved, on what is negotiated in the future.
“No one will be left out”
Ukrainian leaders said they were not invited to participate in the meeting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will receive the American envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg for conversations on Wednesday.
The commitment between the United States and Russia generated concern among European leaders who in recent days have highlighted the need for Ukraine to participate in discussions about their own future and that European nations play a role in what they also see as a development key in your own safety.
The Rubio Secretary insisted that “no one will remain on the sidelines” of the negotiations and said that all the parties involved must agree with a future agreement for the end of the war.
He also said that the European Union will take part in the conversations later.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, summoned a group of European leaders for a session on Monday in Paris, where they discussed the increase in defense spending and possible security guarantees for Ukraine.
There was a division about the idea of deploying peace forces in Ukraine as part of a possible end of war, with governments such as Great Britain and Sweden expressing its openness to the idea, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the discussion was premature.
“We are looking for a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine. To achieve it, Russia must end its aggression, and this must be accompanied by solid and credible security guarantees for Ukrainians, ”Macron said in X.
The French leader said he had spoken with Trump and Zelenskyy after the conversations of Paris, and that it is important that the Europeans, the Americans and the Ukrainians work together.
Zelenskyy expressed the need for “solid and reliable” security guarantees, saying that otherwise Russia will simply begin another war with Ukraine or other nations in Europe.
Discrepancies on membership of Ukraine in NATO
The spokeswoman of the Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, told journalists in Moscow that “it is not enough” that the organization of the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) does not admit Ukraine as a member. He added that the alliance must go further and disallow a promise he made at a summit in Bucharest in 2008 that kyiv would join a future not specified date.
“Otherwise, this problem will continue to poison the atmosphere in the European continent,” he said. There was no immediate response from Ukraine, NATO members or the United States.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has constantly demanded the NATO membership as the only way to guarantee kyiv's sovereignty and independence of his neighbor with nuclear weapons.
American spokeswoman Bruce said in a statement: “President Trump wants that Ukraine and Russia accept that. “
He said that the two parties also agreed to consult the “irritating” in their bilateral relations, which the Kremlin described as “below zero” during the previous American administration of Joe Biden.