Egypt Daily News – Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and a member of the Russian negotiation team in Saudi Arabia, said on Tuesday that talks held in Riyadh between senior diplomats from Russia and the United States were “positive.”
Dmitriev added that the discussions lasted more than four hours and had concluded for the day.
Meanwhile, Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin and a member of the Russian negotiation team, stated that Russia and the United States had agreed to “take each other’s interests into account” during the talks in Riyadh on Tuesday.
When asked by Russia’s Channel One about the progress of the negotiations, Ushakov responded, “Not bad.”
He noted that while it is “difficult to say” whether the positions of Russia and the U.S. are getting closer, the two countries discussed the matter in Riyadh.
Ushakov also mentioned that Moscow and Washington would work on “creating the conditions” for a meeting between Presidents Putin and Donald Trump, though such a meeting is unlikely to take place in the coming week.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to make a statement at a press conference in Riyadh later, summarizing the results of the first meeting between the Russian and American delegations in Saudi Arabia.
The negotiations aim to reach a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine and restore U.S.-Russia relations following a recent phone call between President Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
In a press conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that “the United States now better understands Russia’s position after the talks in Saudi Arabia,” expressing his gratitude to Riyadh for hosting the discussions.
Lavrov also mentioned several agreements between the two countries, noting that both sides acknowledged that their national interests would not align in every situation.
Resolving the Conflict in Ukraine
He explained that the dialogue with the U.S. focused on the importance of respecting mutual interests and confirmed that an agreement had been reached to formulate a process for resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
Lavrov also mentioned that consultations on Ukraine would be held regularly between Moscow and Washington.
Meeting Between Putin and Trump
Regarding a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, Lavrov said, “We will work on creating the conditions for a meeting between Putin and Trump.”
The Russian minister explained that he made it clear to the American delegation that the expansion of NATO represents a direct threat to Russia. He emphasized that Ukraine’s potential accession to NATO would pose a threat to Russia’s national security.
Lavrov also stated that Russia would not allow the deployment of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.
Ambassador Appointments
Additionally, Lavrov announced the appointment of ambassadors between Moscow and Washington, mentioning that both sides had agreed to remove barriers between their diplomatic missions.
Regarding economic cooperation, he noted that there was significant interest in lifting restrictions on economic collaboration with the U.S. He further stated, “There was strong interest in removing economic barriers between Moscow and Washington.”
“The Meeting Was Good”
The U.S. State Department announced that the meeting was positive, adding that both sides agreed to lay the groundwork for future cooperation between Washington and Moscow, as well as a mechanism to normalize relations between the two countries.
Tami Bruce, the spokesperson for the State Department, stated in a statement that they also agreed to appoint a high-level negotiating team to begin working on a path to end the war in Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday, attended the summit, along with Yuri Ushakov, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev, U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Stephen Wittkopf.
Also present were Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Minister of State Musaed al-Aiban.
This summit followed a phone call last week between President Trump and President Putin, during which they discussed relations between the two countries and the Ukrainian issue.
The meeting comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to visit Riyadh tomorrow, Wednesday, for a previously scheduled trip, though he will not meet with any Russian or U.S. officials.
It is noteworthy that Saudi Arabia has maintained a neutral stance in the Russia-Ukraine war, seeking to create space for dialogue between the conflicting parties to resolve the situation rather than exacerbate confrontation.
In September 2022, Saudi Arabia played a role in securing the release of foreign fighters detained in Ukraine, including two Americans and five Britons.
Additionally, in August 2023, Saudi Arabia hosted talks on the war that attracted representatives from over 40 countries, excluding Russia. The kingdom has maintained strong relations with both Kyiv and Washington, as well as a close relationship with President Trump, which has made its role in this matter impactful.
