Saudi Arabia Hosts Key Talks Between US and Russian Officials on Ukraine Crisis

Saudi Arabia Hosts Key Talks Between US and Russian Officials on Ukraine Crisis

Riyadh, February 18 – Saudi Arabia has facilitated talks between Russia and the United States aimed at resolving the Ukraine crisis, as part of its efforts to promote global peace and security.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the meeting was held under the direction of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended the meeting, with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Saudi National Security Advisor Musaed Al-Aiban also taking part.

This is the most significant meeting between Russia and the United States regarding the Ukraine war, where both sides are expected to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine and restore relations between the US and Russia. The talks may pave the way for a summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine, which is not participating in the talks, has stated that no peace agreement will be made on its behalf in Riyadh.

Russia has indicated that Lavrov will engage in talks with US officials on the resolution of the Ukraine war and the broader issues surrounding Russia-US relations.

Ahead of the meeting, the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev, expressed a preference for seeing Trump’s administration as problem solvers, highlighting his positive outlook on the Ukraine crisis.

Additionally, during Trump’s first term, several channels of communication were established between Russia and the US, from 2016 to 2020.

Saudi Arabia, which is also in discussions with the US over the Gaza issue, played a role in facilitating a prisoner swap between Russia and the US last week.

The meeting comes at a time when European leaders gathered in Paris for an emergency summit to set a unified strategy for Ukraine's security.