4.5 hours of negotiations in Russia-US talks on Ukraine

Senior US and Russian officials met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18 to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine. This is the first high-level meeting between the two countries since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in February 2022, taking place after US President Donald Trump spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last week.

The meeting had all the hallmarks of a major diplomatic event. The atmosphere was solemn, but tense and suspicious of each other.AFPdescription. Both sides were cautious because they both understood the importance of the event.

The meeting between the Russian and American delegations took place at the Saudi royal palace of Diriyah. Officials from the host country were everywhere. The Russian and American flags were hung above the entrance and in the meeting room.

The US delegation to the talks included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and US Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. The Russian side was represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Yuri Ushakov, President Putin's foreign policy adviser and Kirill Dmitriev, Director of the Russian National Investment Fund (RDIF). Mr. Dmitriev's presence shows that Russia also wants to raise economic issues at the meeting.

The event began at 10:30 a.m. on February 18, slightly later than originally scheduled. Representatives from both sides sat around a large wooden table, with large bouquets of white flowers in the middle. They did not smile or shake hands, nor did they make any statements to the media before the meeting.

Mr. Rubio, 53, sat across from Mr. Lavrov, 74. The two top diplomats of the United States and Russia have never met in person, having only spoken by phone on February 15. Mr. Walt sat to Mr. Rubio’s left, across from Mr. Ushakov. Both sides wore serious expressions.

"The suspicion was evident, both sides seemed to be secretly assessing and probing each other's intentions,"AFPdescribe.

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and National Security Adviser Musaad bin Mohammad al-Aiban were the two officials representing the host country attending the opening session of the negotiations, then left the meeting room with reporters.

The talks began, with the first session lasting two and a half hours. The two sides took a 15-minute break and resumed work after lunch. Mr. Dmitriev joined the talks in the second session. The RDIF director played a key role in negotiating with Mr. Witkoff to carry out the Russian-American prisoner exchange shortly before Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin spoke by phone.

According to Mr. Dmitriev, in addition to the Ukraine issue, the Russian and US delegations also discussed the potential for economic cooperation and energy prices.

"I can say that the parties had important exchanges. At the end of the event, there was a lot of joking. It is important that the two countries pay attention to communicating with each other, in a respectful and equal manner," Mr. Dmitriev told Russian television.Russia-24.

"The jokes really lightened the mood. Foreign Minister Lavrov and others responded," Dmitriev added, without specifying what they said.

As the meeting ended after just over 15 hours, a Kremlin aide said it was “hard to say” whether Russia and the US positions were moving closer together and that it was too early to talk about a date for a summit between Mr Trump and Mr Putin.

The event was not attended by any representatives from Ukraine or European countries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would not accept any results from the talks because Kiev was not present, and postponed his planned visit to Saudi Arabia on February 19 until March.

Europe has also expressed concern as President Trump sidelines them. Jana Puglierin, a researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), warned that the US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia could reshape European security.

"Europe risks being forced to stand on the sidelines, helplessly watching the foundations of regional security collapse," Ms. Puglierin toldDW.

After the talks, US Secretary of State Rubio said the two sides had agreed to begin working on a roadmap to a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine and explore the "incredible opportunities that exist to cooperate with Russia", both geopolitically and economically.

"I believe that the conversation was very useful. We listened to each other and I have reason to believe that the American side has better understood our position," Lavrov said.

Experts say the Russia-US meeting in Saudi Arabia shows that Washington has fundamentally changed its policy towards Moscow, Dmitry Suslov, a member of the Russian Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, told Reuters.RT. Emma Ashford, a researcher at the US-based Stimson Center, described this as a "significant step forward" in US-Russia relations.

Some say the current round of talks is unlikely to yield a breakthrough, as the US and Russia need time to adjust after years of almost no contact with each other. "This is just the beginning," Cui Heng, a lecturer at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, told Reuters.RIA Novosti.