RIYADH – Prime Russian and U.S. officers are set to carry talks maintain talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday in a bid to enhance their ties and negotiate an finish to the war in Ukraine.
The assembly between the 2 international locations’ prime diplomats in Riyadh could be their most important because the Russia invaded its neighbor virtually three years in the past, and is supposed to pave the best way for a gathering between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump earlier this month upended U.S. coverage towards Ukraine and Russia, saying he and Putin had agreed to start negotiations on ending the conflict.
Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s international affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov arrived within the Saudi capital on Monday night time. Ushakov stated the talks could be “purely bilateral” and wouldn’t embody Ukrainian officers.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, nationwide safety adviser Mike Waltz and Particular Envoy Steve Witkoff will meet the Russian delegation, State Division spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated.
The latest U.S. diplomatic blitz on the conflict has despatched Kyiv and key allies scrambling to make sure a seat on the desk amid considerations that Washington and Moscow may press forward with a deal that gained’t be favorable to them. France referred to as an emergency meeting of European Union international locations and the U.Okay. on Monday to determine the right way to reply.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Monday his nation gained’t settle for the result if Kyiv doesn’t participate.
U.S.-Russia talks would “yield no outcomes” with out Ukrainian officers, Zelenskyy stated on a convention name with journalists from the United Arab Emirates.
Forward of the talks, Kirill Dmitriev, the pinnacle of the Russian Direct Funding Fund who the Kremlin stated may be a part of the assembly, underscored the significance of the assembly in feedback to The Related Press.
“Good U.S.-Russia relations are essential for the entire world. Solely collectively can Russia and the U.S. tackle numerous world issues, resolve for international conflicts and provide options,” Dmitriev, who stated he and his staff would give attention to financial points on the talks, instructed AP.
The Saudi-owned satellite tv for pc channel Al Arabiya, citing the Russian delegation, described Moscow’s precedence as “actual normalization with Washington.”
For Saudi Arabia, the talks are a significant step towards a purpose de facto chief Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has pursued all through the conflict — placing the dominion in the midst of diplomatic negotiations. It has helped in prisoner negotiations and hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for an Arab League summit within the kingdom in 2023. Zelenskyy will probably journey to Saudi Arabia later this week.
For Prince Mohammed, as soon as described as a “pariah” by former President Joe Biden over the 2018 killing of Washington Publish journalist Jamal Khashoggi, internet hosting such talks burnish the otherwise-tarnished picture the West has for him. Like
Forward of the summit, the Saudi every day newspaper Okaz described the second because the “world’s eye on Riyadh.”
Writing within the London-based however Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al Awsat, journalist Mishari al-Dhaidi described the summit as “a significant step on the worldwide political chess enviornment, revealing the standing of Saudi Arabia and its optimistic affect for the advantage of the individuals all of the individuals,” he wrote. the neighboring United Arab Emirates, the prince additionally has maintained shut relations to Russia all through its conflict on Ukraine, each by way of the OPEC+ oil cartel and diplomatically as effectively.
Internet hosting the summit additionally balances the tough criticism lately levied by the dominion’s tightly managed media at President Donald Trump over his repeated feedback that he desires the U.S. to “personal” the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by the Israeli army offensive there because the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas assault. The Palestinians need Gaza and the West Financial institution for a future state, one thing backed by the broader Arab world and almost the entire worldwide neighborhood.
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Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia. Related Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
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