Russia and US agree on Ukraine peace talks – Lavrov

Moscow and Washington have agreed to start the conflict settlement process, according to the Russian foreign minister

Russia and the US have agreed to establish a framework for ending the Ukraine conflict in the near future, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has announced.

Top Russian and US diplomats met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to explore ways to restore diplomatic ties, lay the groundwork for a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, and advance efforts toward resolving the Ukraine conflict.

Lavrov led the Russian delegation, which also included Yury Ushakov, Putin’s top foreign policy aide. Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), also took part in the negotiation process. The American side was represented by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and Steve Witkoff, Washington’s special envoy for the Middle East.

Neither Ukraine nor the EU participated in the meeting, with Kiev stating it would not recognize the outcome of the talks unless it was involved.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the meeting in Riyadh, Lavrov stated that as part of the agreement to initiate the Ukraine conflict settlement process, Russia will appoint its representative once it receives confirmation of Washington’s designated negotiator.

“I believe the discussions were highly productive,” Lavrov said, adding, “Not only did we listen, but we genuinely heard each other.”

He further stated that he had reason to believe the American side “now has a clearer understanding of Russia’s position,” as it had been “thoroughly detailed” using specific examples drawn from President Putin’s numerous statements.

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