Top Russian and US envoys met in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh to pave the way for a new era of rebooted bilateral relations that are set to reconfigure global relations.
The meeting was led by the veteran Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov and his US counterpart, Marco Rubio. The Saudis chaired the proceedings.
After four-and-half hours of intense face-to-face talks between the two superpowers, it became crystal clear that more direct engagements were afoot. The talks were also a precursor to the much-anticipated summit between the Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump. It will also take place in Riyadh at a date yet to be confirmed.
Briefing the media after the talks, Secretary Rubio said the discussions centred around “diplomacy and long-term commitment”. Ending the nearly three years Ukraine war was the elephant in the room. To bring it to the end, it will require “complex and intense diplomacy”, said Secretary Rubio.
He further said that the future of the talks depends on both sides’ “willingness to fulfill promises”. This will be a test for the coming weeks, he added.
In addition, resolving the Ukraine conflict will require “concessions from all sides, and conditions will have to be acceptable to all”.
Missing at the first round of direct talks were the EU and Ukraine. However, the will in future be factored in. The EU followed the US order and imposed economic sanctions on Russia.
Secretary Rubio said resolving the conflict will open the door for US-Russia cooperation in economics and geopolitics. One of the immediate tasks was to normalize diplomatic ties between the two nations. “Talks on Ukraine cannot proceed without functioning diplomatic missions,” said Secretary Rubio.
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