US and Russia meet without Ukraine for first talks on ending war

On Tuesday in Riyadh, officials from the U.S. and Russia engaged in their most significant discussions yet regarding the resolution of the war in Ukraine between the two former Cold War adversaries. They were anticipated to talk about solutions to resolve the three-year-old conflict in Ukraine and improve American-Russian relations. Discussions may set the stage for a summibetween U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine, which is absent, states that no peace agreement can be established without its input. “We, as a sovereign nation, will not accept any agreements that do not include us,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated last week. European leaders, concerned that Russia and the United States might exclude them from discussions affecting the continent’s future security, have likewise insisted on participating in peace negotiations.
Media received permission to capture footage of the two delegations prior to the commencement of the discussions. Putin’s foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov faced U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff at a sleek wooden table adorned with three large white floral displays.
The officials disregarded shouted inquiries from journalists questioning if the U.S. was marginalizing the Ukrainians and what compromises Washington was seeking from Moscow. Dmitriev, a former Goldman Sachs banker educated in the U.S., was involved in initial communications with Moscow during Trump’s first presidential term from 2016-2020.
Ushakov mentioned on Monday that Dmitriev could be part of the delegation to address economic issues. On Monday, European leaders convened in Paris for an urgent summit to establish a cohesive strategy, having been caught off guard by Trump’s call for immediate discussions about Ukraine following his conversation with Putin last week.