The United States and Russia agreed on Tuesday to begin efforts toward ending the war in Ukraine, the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II, with both nations committed to focusing on three key goals. This marked the first time representatives from both countries sat down together to explore ways to bring an end to the nearly three-year-long war.
Top American and Russian diplomatic officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, met in Saudi Arabia to discuss restoring relations under President Donald Trump and pledged to work toward a peace resolution. However, no Ukrainian officials were present at the meeting, which has already infuriated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
Trump Emerges Hero
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After the 4.5-hour discussion, Rubio said that the two nations had agreed on three main points: improving diplomatic ties and restoring embassy staff levels, forming a high-level task force to initiate peace negotiations, and setting the stage for future geopolitical and economic collaboration once the conflict concludes.
Zelensky was outraged at being excluded from the initial meeting and, in response, canceled his scheduled trip to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
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Despite this, the lead diplomat emphasized that the discussions were just the start of a dialogue and that significant work remains ahead.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and one of Moscow’s negotiators, described the intense 4.5-hour meeting as “constructive.” He noted that both sides were engaging in discussions with mutual respect but cautioned that it was still too early to confirm any concrete agreements.
Rubio also praised Trump, saying that he was the “only leader” who can bring peace between Russia and Ukraine. The State Department also praised Trump’s diplomacy in a statement.
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“President Trump wants to stop the killing; the United States wants peace and is using its strength in the world to bring countries together. President Trump is the only leader in the world who can get Ukraine and Russia to agree to that,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.
Big Break
In images from the meeting, U.S. officials—including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff—were seen sitting with serious expressions across from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, and negotiator Kirill Dmitriev.
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Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, and National Security Adviser Mosaad bin Mohammad al-Aiban sat between the two delegations as they hosted the landmark discussions.
Rubio said that the negotiating team did not have the opportunity to address issues such as sanctions and that no future meeting date had been set. However, he emphasized that President Trump “wants to get things done.”
This was the first round of discussions as the U.S. seeks to mediate a peace agreement to bring an end to the conflict that began when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
No immediate decision was made regarding when President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold an in-person meeting to negotiate a resolution to the war.
The breakthrough talks followed a recent conversation between Trump and Putin, signaling a shift in U.S. strategy away from isolating Russia. However, Ukrainian representatives were not included in the Middle Eastern negotiations.
