Top officials from Russia and the United States met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, to discuss improving relations and negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine.

The meeting, held at the Diriyah Palace, signifies a step towards reversing the US policy of isolating Russia, potentially paving the way for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accompanied by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

Headed by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin's foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov.

Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and national security advisor Musaed al Alban were present at the start of the meeting.

Ukrainian officials did not participate in the meeting, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine would not accept any outcome without its involvement.

The meeting reflects President Trump's decision to shift US policy towards Russia and Ukraine, signalling a willingness to negotiate with Putin to end the war.

Ushakov said that the talks would be purely bilateral and would not include Ukrainian officials.

Discussions aimed to explore ways to end the three-year conflict in Ukraine and restore American-Russian relations. The talks could also pave the way for a summit between President Trump and President Putin.

Russia expressed that the talks would focus on ending the war and restoring the "whole complex" of Russia-U.S. ties. Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, highlighted the potential economic benefits of improved relations, noting the losses suffered by U.S. businesses that left Russia.

European leaders, concerned about being excluded from the negotiations, convened an emergency summit in Paris to discuss a unified strategy.

Zelenskyy said he would also be traveling to Saudi Arabia, but stressed that his visit was not linked to Russia-US peace talks.

AP