Kremlin: Riyadh talks to discuss Ukraine, preparations for Putin-Trump meeting

Senior Russian and American officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia today for high-level talks to improve bilateral relations, the Kremlin said yesterday. The agenda will include discussions on “potential negotiations regarding Ukraine” and preparations for a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the talks will primarily focus on “rebuilding Russian-American relations in all areas.”

He told reporters that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin’s diplomatic adviser, Yuri Ushakov, will travel to Riyadh to participate in the meeting.

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will meet with the Russian delegation in Riyadh today, ahead of the anticipated Trump-Putin summit.

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Russia is seeking to reshape the security framework in Europe and has called for NATO forces to withdraw from Eastern European countries.

The Kremlin claims that its invasion of Ukraine was aimed at countering what it describes as an existential threat posed by NATO.

Peskov said that the Riyadh meeting will also focus on preparations for possible negotiations to resolve the situation in Ukraine.

He added that Middle East affairs could also be on the agenda, as both countries compete for influence in the region following the collapse of Bashar Al-Assad’s rule in Syria and setbacks for Iran.

On Sunday, Lavrov stated that “nothing has been finalised yet” regarding talks to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump’s phone call with Putin last week caused a stir in Europe, especially after the announcement that the two leaders had agreed to start negotiations on Ukraine “immediately”, although it remains unclear how Ukraine will be involved in the process.

An official source revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit Saudi Arabia tomorrow.