US, Russia agree to set up negotiation teams for Ukraine conflict resolution
This handout picture taken and released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on their "X" social media account shows Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (2nd-L), Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov (3rd-L) speaking with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2nd-Ramong others on Feb.18, 2025. (AFP Photo)
In a key development, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks in Riyadh on Tuesday, agreeing to appoint high-level teams to negotiate a resolution to the Ukraine conflict.
The U.S. State Department stated that both sides are committed to establishing a path toward ending the conflict in a manner that is sustainable, enduring, and acceptable to all parties involved.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the discussions as “serious” but noted that it was too early to determine if the positions of the two sides were converging.
While both Russia and the United States outlined their respective approaches to the conflict, Ushakov emphasized it was premature to discuss the scheduling of a potential presidential summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
Ushakov confirmed that the issue of Ukraine was addressed during the meeting, and the two sides agreed to continue discussions through separate negotiation teams.
He characterized the talks as constructive, with participants, including U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Russian economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, gaining a better understanding of each other.
Both countries expressed optimism regarding future cooperation, with an emphasis on addressing geopolitical concerns and exploring economic opportunities that may arise from a successful resolution of the Ukraine conflict.
