Russia has described a four-hour discussion with the United States about the war in Ukraine as “positive and constructive,” according to a Kremlin delegate. The meeting took place in
Saudi Arabia, though neither Ukraine nor European representatives were invited.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Riyadh. Before the talks began, both sides sat in silence. When asked whether the US was sidelining Ukraine, Rubio did not respond, according to BBC correspondent Tom Bateman.
The Kremlin has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “if necessary.” However, Zelensky has consistently maintained that Ukraine will not recognize any peace agreement negotiated without its involvement.
Differing perspectives on the talks
The United States described the meeting as a preliminary step to assess whether Russia is genuinely interested in ending the war. Meanwhile, Russia expressed hope for normalizing relations with Washington.
Following the discussions, members of the Russian delegation shared their impressions. Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, told Russian state TV that the dialogue had been "very positive and constructive."
"Unlike the Biden administration, which never attempted to understand Russia's position, this meeting marked a clear effort to establish dialogue, find common ground, and discuss mutual interests," Dmitriev said.
He added, “We discovered many points of agreement, got to know each other better, and now have a deeper understanding of each other’s perspectives.”
Path forward
Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, also spoke to Russian state media, describing the talks as “not bad, not bad.” While he acknowledged that it was difficult to determine whether Moscow and Washington were drawing closer, he emphasized the seriousness of the discussions.
“We addressed all the key issues we wanted to discuss,” Ushakov said. “Both Moscow and Washington recognize the need to consider each other’s interests and work toward improving bilateral relations.”
As an outcome of the meeting, both sides agreed to establish a separate team of negotiators to continue discussions at a later stage. Photo by Ahmed, Wikimedia commons.