RIYADH: Russia stated Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov will maintain talks with high US officers, together with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on Tuesday (Feb 18) that may give attention to ending the conflict in Ukraine and restoring “the entire advanced” of Russia-US ties.
Rubio arrived within the Saudi capital Riyadh on Monday on a beforehand deliberate journey. US Nationwide Safety Advisor Mike Waltz and Center East envoy Steve Witkoff, who’re set to reach afterward Monday, shall be becoming a member of him on the talks with the Russians
The talks shall be among the many first high-level, in-person discussions in years between Russian and US officers and are supposed to precede a gathering between the US and Russian presidents.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov instructed reporters that Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov, a overseas coverage advisor to President Vladimir Putin, would fly to the Saudi capital Riyadh on Monday.
“They’re anticipated to carry a gathering with their American counterparts on Tuesday, which can focus totally on restoring all the advanced of Russian-American relations,” Peskov stated.
“It should even be dedicated to the preparation of attainable negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement and the organisation of a gathering between the 2 presidents.”
Peskov declined to touch upon a Reuters report that Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund chief, would additionally meet the US delegation.
Peskov declined to remark when requested if Putin and US President Donald Trump would meet face-to-face in Saudi Arabia later this month.
US State Division spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that Rubio, Waltz, and Witkoff will meet with the Russian delegation in Riyadh on Tuesday.
The talks come after President Donald Trump final week spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin by cellphone and ordered high officers to start negotiations on the conflict, which he repeatedly vowed to finish throughout his presidential marketing campaign.
Riyadh, which can be concerned in talks with Washington over the way forward for the Gaza Strip, has performed a task in early contacts between the Trump administration, which took workplace on Jan 20, and Moscow, serving to to safe a prisoner swap final week.
US high diplomat Rubio, who spoke by cellphone along with his Russian counterpart Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday, stated on Sunday that the approaching weeks and days would decide whether or not Putin is critical about making peace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can be within the area. Zelenskiy, who arrived within the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, stated he additionally meant to go to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, however no dates had been set. He stated he had no plans to fulfill Russian or US officers and Ukraine just isn’t believed to be invited to the Saudi-hosted talks.
