Russia and the United States have agreed to “set the basis for future cooperation” to end the Ukraine war and normalize lightning for relations, after their high -level talks on the conflict since President Vladimir Putin invaded.
After four and a half hours of negotiations in Riyadh on Tuesday, the US State Department said that the two sides will appoint “a high difference
The talks were an extraordinary transformation of events after US President Donald Trump Putin called last week an attempt to end the war – without consulting Ukraine or its European allies.
“This should be a permanent end of the war and not a temporary end as we have seen in the past,” said Mike Walz, US National Security Adviser, who accompanied Foreign Minister Marco Rubio and Trump envoy Steve Whitkov in the talks. .
On Tuesday in Riyadh was the first of its kind between the United States and Russia since Moscow invaded in February 2022 to Ukraine. In a scene that can almost even a few weeks ago, Russian and state flags flew next to each other outside the luxurious palace where the meeting was held.
Waltz added: “The practical truth is that there will be some discussions about the lands and there will be a discussion of security guarantees, as these are just basic basics.”
In the language that the Russian side largely echoed, the US State Department said that the new diplomatic channel between the two countries “will lay the foundations for future cooperation in issues of mutual geopolitical interests and historical economic and investment opportunities” after the end of the Ukraine war.
Kirill Dmitryv, CEO of the Russian sovereign wealth Fund, told the Financial Times that the two sides discussed “the restoration of economic relations in those areas of mutual importance.”
Dmitriev, who was in Riyadh during the talks, refused to provide specific details, but he said that this may include joint investments in “different companies”, establishing “joint companies with American partners”, and investing in the Arctic.
The convergence of the United States-Russia raised concerns in Kiev and European capitals that Trump wanted to settle the dispute over the conditions of Moscow.
Washington seemed to have surrendered to some of Putin’s basic demands before he started talks on Tuesday, after it said that Ukraine’s ambitions to join NATO and restore the lands that Russia occupied “is not realistic.”
In a sign of the solid line, Putin will face Ukraine, the Russian side stressed that it is “necessary to settle the initial causes” of the conflict and ensure “the legal interests of all countries in the region.”
This indicated that the Kremlin did not drop its goals of conquering the large areas of Ukraine and making it impossible for the country to remain an effective state.
Russia has ruled out a role for Europe in the talks and asked NATO to cancel an open invitation for the year 2008 for Ukraine to join the alliance.
Ukrainian President Folodimir Zelinski said he had rescheduled to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after the United States talks, describing a “surprise.”
Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy advisor, said that the United States and Russia will work to “create conditions” to hold the Trump Putin meeting, but he said this may not happen next week because “comprehensive work” is required first.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the two sides agreed to “ensure the immediate appointment of ambassadors on each other’s capitals and remove the obstacles set by the Biden administration regarding our diplomatic missions.”
Lavrov said that these barriers included “the expulsion of diplomats, the issue of seizing our property and banking transactions.” He added: “Our deputies will soon arrange a meeting to assess the need to remove these barriers.”
The normalization of bilateral relations requires the lifting of US sanctions against Russia, which was one of Moscow’s main demands.
Rubio said that the European Union “would have to the table at some point because they had sanctions [on Russia] also”.
When asked about the concessions that Moscow will make in return, the US Secretary of State said that any such step will result from “difficult and difficult diplomacy” in “closed rooms over a period of time.”
He added: “No one is marginalized here.” Rubio has briefed foreign ministers in France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom about his meeting with Lavrov, according to a US State Department spokesman.
They added: “The group agreed to stay in close contact, as we are working to achieve a solid end to the conflict in Ukraine.”
While Europe is seeking to respond to the US -Russian talks, French President Emmanuel Macron is planning to hold an emergency meeting of European leaders on Wednesday, and the second so far this week, according to the people who have been briefed on the plans.
This meeting is largely dedicated to countries that were not invited to the previous summit on Monday, when the leaders clashed for sending peacekeepers to Ukraine. While the United Kingdom offered the status of “shoes on the ground”, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain expressed its hesitation to do so.
Lavrov said on Tuesday that any European publication of peacekeeping was “unacceptable.” It also implicitly that Moscow has rejected an American request to stop the attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure, falsely – falsely – that Russia did not attack the civilian targets.
Waltz said that the United States is conducting a “shuttle diplomacy” and consulted Zelinski and Makon, while Trump will meet the UK Prime Minister Sir Kerr Starmer next week.
He rejected the idea that our allies were not consulted. ”
Kiev said that she would reject any deal imposed on her without being involved, while European countries have left a scramble to rid a seat on the table.
With Tuesday talks, Zyip Ardoğan, who previously sought a mediator role in the conflict.
“We do not want an average peace behind the scenes without our involvement,” said Ukrainian president. “Without Ukraine, peace cannot be achieved.”
Participated in additional reports from Anastasia Stone in Berlin, Ayla Jean Yakli in Istanbul, Henry Foy in Brussels, Laila Abboud in Paris and George Parker in London
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