US-Russia Talks on Ukraine Conflict

US and Russian officials engaged in over four hours of discussions in Riyadh, marking their initial talks focused on ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, alongside other senior officials from both nations.

Key Highlights

• The discussions were acknowledged as the start of a broader conversation, with both parties agreeing that more work is necessary to reach a resolution.
• Russian negotiator Yuri Ushakov remarked that the talks were positive and included discussions on conditions for a potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• A possible summit between Trump and Putin was deemed unlikely to occur the following week.

US Efforts and Russian Demands

• The meeting highlighted the swift US initiatives to halt the conflict, occurring less than a month after President Trump assumed office.
• Russia intensified its demands during the meeting. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized that NATO's decision to not admit Ukraine as a member was insufficient. She called for NATO to retract its 2008 Bucharest summit promise that Kyiv would eventually join the alliance.

These developments underscore the ongoing complexity and diplomatic challenges in resolving the conflict in Ukraine, with significant implications for European security dynamics.