RIYADH: US and Russian officials met on Tuesday in Riyadh for the most significant talks to date between the two former Cold War foes on ending Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The two sides were expected to discuss ways to end the conflict in Ukraine and restore American-Russian relations. The conversation could pave the way for a summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine, which is not attending the talks, says no peace deal can be made on its behalf in Riyadh.
Russia said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would meet top US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in talks that would focus on ending the Ukraine war and restoring “the whole complex” of Russia-US ties.
The head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund on Tuesday described Trump as a problem solver ahead of the discussions in Saudi Arabia.
“We really see that President Trump and his team is a team of problem solvers, people who have already addressed a number of big challenges very swiftly, very efficiently and very successfully,” Kirill Dmitriev told reporters in Riyadh.
Dmitriev, a US-educated former Goldman Sachs banker, played a role in early contacts between Moscow and Washington during Trump’s first term as president from 2016-2020.
Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, said on Monday that Dmitriev might join the delegation to discuss any economic questions that might arise.
“It’s very important to understand that US businesses lost around $300 billion from leaving Russia. So there is huge economic toll on many countries from you know what’s happening right now, and we believe as a way forward is through solutions,” Dmitriev said.
The talks come after European leaders gathered in Paris on Monday for an emergency summit to agree on a unified strategy. They were blindsided by Trump’s push for immediate talks on Ukraine after a phone call with Putin last week.
The European leaders said they would invest more in defense and take the lead in providing security guarantees for Ukraine.
“Everyone feels the great sense of urgency,” Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on X. “At this crucial time for the security of Europe we must continue to stand behind Ukraine.”
“Europe will have to make a contribution toward safeguarding any agreement, and cooperation with the Americans is essential,” he said.
