US, Russia meet in Saudi talks for most high-profile talks ever; Ukraine excluded

Senior officials from the US and Russia met in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh for their most high-profile talks to date regarding the war in Ukraine.

On Tuesday, senior officials from the US and Russia met in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh for their most high-profile talks to date regarding the war in Ukraine. These discussions, seen as a significant step forward, were focused on finding a way to end the three-year conflict and rebuild relations between the two nations.

(L to R) Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad al-Aiban, the Russian president's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend a meeting with the US Middle East envoy, Secretary of State, and National Security Advisor together at Riyadh's Diriyah Palace on February 18, 2025.(AFP)

The talks could eventually lead to a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, the talks began without visible handshakes, and no statements were made, as reported by news agency AFP.

Ukraine was not involved in these negotiations and has made it clear that no peace agreement can be reached without its participation. "We, as an independent nation, simply will not be able to agree to any agreements without us," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said recently.

European leaders, concerned that they might be excluded from crucial discussions on Europe’s future security, also insisted on being included in the peace talks.

Before the talks began, journalists were allowed to film the delegations. Russia’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sat opposite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, at a polished wooden table decorated with white floral arrangements. Despite reporters’ questions about whether the US was bypassing Ukraine, the officials remained silent.

Restoring relations

Russia stated that the discussions would focus on ending the war and restoring "the entire complex" of Russia-US relations, which had been severely strained under President Biden’s administration. Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, praised President Donald Trump and his team as "a team of problem solvers." Dmitriev, who played a role in initial contacts with Russia during Trump’s first term, also pointed out that US businesses had lost around $300 billion by leaving Russia, highlighting the economic impact of the ongoing war.

The US, under Donald Trump, has shifted its strategy towards Russia, seeking more direct engagement. In response, European leaders held an emergency meeting in Paris to form a unified strategy, after being caught off guard by Donald Trump’s push for talks with Moscow following a phone conversation last week.

The Riyadh meeting marked a significant departure from the Biden administration’s cautious approach, which had refrained from public engagement with Russia. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, following its annexation of Crimea in 2014, has resulted in the country controlling about 20% of Ukrainian territory. US officials described Tuesday’s talks as an initial step to assess whether Russia is serious about ending the war.

"This is a follow-up to that very first conversation between President Donald Trump and Putin about perhaps if that initial move is even a possibility, what the interests are, whether or not this can be handled," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters in Riyadh.

The Kremlin suggested that the discussions would cover broader Russia-U.S. issues and help lay the groundwork for a potential agreement on Ukraine and a summit between the two leaders.

European nations concerned

Meanwhile, European nations are concerned about being excluded from these talks. They have imposed sanctions on Russia for its actions in Ukraine, and it remains uncertain how they will respond to Donald Trump’s direct engagement with Putin. A European official remarked, "We agree with President Donald Trump on a 'peace through strength' approach," following the Paris meeting.

Donald Trump’s decision to engage directly with Russia has prompted European countries to acknowledge that they may need to take on more responsibility for Ukraine’s security. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had previously offered to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, said, "There must be a US security 'backstop' for European countries to put boots on the ground."

Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, announced that he would be travelling to Ukraine and was asked whether the US would provide security guarantees for European peacekeepers. "I’ve been with President Trump, and the policy has always been: You take no options off the table," he replied.

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed support for "efforts towards peace" in Ukraine, while stressing the hope that "all parties and stakeholders can take part" in the talks, as per reports.

Prior to the meeting, Russia announced that Putin and Trump sought to move beyond "abnormal relations" and made it clear that they saw no role for Europeans in the discussions.

(With inputs from Reuters, AFP)