Egypt Daily News – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday that an agreement had been reached with the Russian side during talks in Riyadh on four principles. He stated that the next step would involve revitalizing the diplomatic missions of both countries in the United States and Russia.
Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, the Secretary said following the discussions: “Today marks the beginning of a difficult journey, and President Trump is committed to ending the war in Ukraine.”
He emphasized the need for all parties involved in the conflict to agree on finding a solution to end it, adding: “The goal is clear: to achieve a just, lasting, and sustainable end to the war.”
In an interview with the Associated Press, the US Secretary of State said that both sides agreed to restore staff at their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow and to establish a high-level team to support peace talks in Ukraine.
The US State Department announced on Tuesday that the talks between US and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia resulted in “an agreement to establish a consultation mechanism to address sources of tension” in bilateral relations. It added that efforts would be made to end the Russian war in Ukraine “as soon as possible.”
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement following the meetings that US Secretary Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “agreed to push for peace in Ukraine,” noting that these efforts are in their “early stages.”
The two ministers also agreed on future cooperation in geopolitical matters and economic and investment opportunities arising from the end of the conflict in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
Trump had confirmed on Sunday that he might meet with Putin “very soon” to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump and Putin spoke for over an hour on Wednesday, which was the first known direct call between a U.S. and Russian president since Putin spoke with former U.S. President Joe Biden shortly before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Trump stated that he and his Russian counterpart agreed during the call to begin negotiations “immediately” regarding the war in Ukraine.
