By Humeyra Pamuk, Reuters
US president elect Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin. Photo: AFP
- Riyadh talks follow Trump's call with Putin
- Ukraine excluded from talks, insists on no agreements without consent
- US sees talks as test of Russia's seriousness about ending war
- Riyadh talks follow emergency meeting of European leaders
Top US and Russian officials are set to meet on Tuesday (local time) in Riyadh for what are expected to be the most significant talks between the two former Cold War foes on ending Moscow's war in Ukraine.
The conversation could pave the way for a summit between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
The talks come after European leaders gathered in Paris on Monday for an emergency summit to agree a unified strategy after they were blindsided by Trump's push for immediate talks after a phone call with Putin last week.
The European leaders said they would invest more in defence and take the lead in providing security guarantees for Ukraine.
"Everyone feels the great sense of urgency," Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on X (formerly Twitter). "At this crucial time for the security of Europe we must continue to stand behind Ukraine."
"Europe will have to make a contribution towards safeguarding any agreement, and cooperation with the Americans is essential," he said.
Niet alleen Oekraïne maar ook Europa moet zijn verantwoordelijkheid nemen na een bestand tussen Oekraïne en Rusland. Dit kwam ook naar voren tijdens de veiligheidsconferentie afgelopen weekend in München. Op uitnodiging van president @EmmanuelMacron voor een informele bijeenkomst… pic.twitter.com/2v3R8LkwiC
— Dick Schoof (@MinPres) February 17, 2025
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy advisor to Putin, in Riyadh, officials from both sides said.
Initial contact
The meeting comes barely a month after Trump took office and reflects a significant departure from Washington's position under the administration of President Joe Biden, who eschewed public contacts, concluding that Russia was not serious about ending the war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks to the press after addressing the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on 24 September 2022. Photo: AFP
Russia, which has occupied parts of Ukraine since 2014, launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022. Trump has vowed to end the war quickly.
Ukraine says no agreements can be made on its behalf in the talks, to which Kyiv was not invited.
US officials sought to cast Tuesday's talks as an initial contact to determine whether Moscow is serious about ending the war in Ukraine.
"This is a follow-up on that initial conversation between Putin and President Trump about perhaps if that first step is even possible, what the interests are, if this can be managed," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters in Riyadh.
The Kremlin, however, suggested the discussions would cover "the entire complex of Russian-American relations", as well as preparing for talks on a possible settlement regarding Ukraine and a meeting between the two presidents.
Russia said Lavrov and Rubio in a call on Saturday discussed removing barriers to trade and investment between the two countries.
Then-President Biden and Kyiv's allies around the world imposed waves of sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine three years ago, aimed at weakening the Russian economy and limiting the Kremlin's war efforts.
On Tuesday, the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund said Trump was a problem solver.
"We really see that President Trump and his team is a team of problem solvers, people who have already addressed a number of big challenges very swiftly, very efficiently and very successfully," Kirill Dmitriev told reporters in Riyadh.
Riyadh, which is also involved in talks with Washington over the future of the Gaza Strip, has played a role in early contacts between the Trump administration and Moscow, helping to secure a prisoner swap last week.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo: SERGEI CHUZAVKOV / AFP
How to engage Washington
It remains unclear how Europe will engage Washington after Trump stunned Ukraine and European allies by calling Putin, long ostracised by the West.
"We agree with President Trump on a "peace through strength" approach", a European official said after the Paris meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The US decision has sparked a realisation among European nations that they will have to do more to ensure Ukraine's security.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who before the meeting said he was willing to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, said on Monday there must be a US security commitment for European countries to put boots on the ground.
Keith Kellogg, Trump's Ukraine envoy, said he would visit Ukraine from Wednesday and was asked if the US would provide a security guarantee for any European peacekeepers.
"I've been with President Trump, and the policy has always been: You take no options off the table," he said.
- Reuters
