Agreeing to Agree

The first round of talks between Russia and the United States to end the war in Ukraine concluded in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, with officials from both sides agreeing to press ahead to end the three-year conflict – despite the notable absence of Ukraine and European nations in the negotiations, Reuters reported.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov led the 4.5-hour talks in the capital Riyadh, with both parties agreeing to form high-level negotiating teams to discuss an “enduring, sustainable, and acceptable” resolution to the war, according to the US representatives.

Russian negotiator Yuri Ushakov told reporters the meeting “went well,” adding that there was “a very serious conversation on all the issues we wanted to raise.”

He added that Moscow and Washington are working on setting up a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump, although he acknowledged that “intensive work” is needed first before such a summit, Politico wrote.

Meanwhile, US negotiators noted that the two sides also agreed to create a “consultation mechanism” to address “irritants” in their bilateral relations.

These include efforts “to normalize the operation of the respective diplomatic missions” and “lay the groundwork for future cooperation on issues of mutual geopolitical interest and historic economic and investment opportunities.”

Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, Russian authorities freed an American citizen who was arrested earlier this month on drug smuggling charges, the Washington Post added.

The negotiations in Saudi Arabia came a week after Trump held a surprise call with Putin about ending the war, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The call sparked alarms among Ukrainian and European allies that Washington had made major concessions in advance, according to Reuters.

Neither Kyiv nor any European Union nations participated in the Saudi talks, which has drawn criticism from allies that Washington is prioritizing geopolitical stability and economic interests over Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Ahead of the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the negotiators “simply will not be able to accept any agreements without us.”

Despite signs of progress, observers noted that Russia appeared to be hardening its demands: On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said it was “not enough” for NATO to refuse Kyiv’s membership in the security alliance.

She called on NATO to disavow a 2008 pledge that Ukraine could join the security alliance at an unspecified date in the future, warning that such prospects “will continue to poison the atmosphere on the European continent.”

The Trump administration has ruled out Ukraine joining NATO, signaling what critics see as a major preemptive concession to Moscow.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also reiterated Russia’s objection to Ukraine joining NATO but noted that Moscow would not oppose Kyiv’s membership to the EU.

“With regard to Ukraine joining the EU, it is the sovereign right of any country … Nobody can dictate to another country and we do not plan on dictating,” he told Agence France-Presse.