On Monday, the Kremlin said that high-ranking Russian officials will sit down with representatives from the US in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to negotiate rebuilding relations and the raging war in Ukraine, which is soon entering its third year.
The Kremlin added that the prospect of sending European forces to Ukraine after a hypothetical peace treaty remains an “aggravated question” that has not yet been discussed in earnest.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the foreign policy adviser to President Vladimir Putin, Yuri Ushakov, will be attending the talks with US representatives in Riyadh, as per a Reuters report.
The meeting would also include discussion of preparations for possible peace talks over Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a briefing with reporters.
Lavrov and Ushakov will travel to Riyadh on Monday, Peskov further stated.
Today, (Foreign Minister Sergei) Lavrov and (Putin aide) Yuri Ushakov will fly to Riyadh, and a meeting is expected Tuesday with the Americans, devoted primarily to restoring the whole complex of Russian-American relations,” Peskov told news agency AFP.
“Also, it will be dedicated to possible negotiations on a Ukrainian resolution, and organizing a meeting between the two presidents.”
Peskov refused to comment when questioned if Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump would sit down in person in Saudi Arabia later this month.
After a telephone call with Putin on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said negotiations to bring an end to the war in Ukraine would start at once. The two leaders also discussed other matters, such as the Middle East, energy, the US dollar, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
At the same time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive in Saudi Arabia, where he will meet Russian representatives with National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
