The US and Russia agree on key principles of negotiations: Zelensky reacts
The first round of talks between officials of the United States and Russia took place in the Saudi capital and lasted more than four hours. Following the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the parties had agreed on four key principles.
Source: CNN
The main agreements
Rubio emphasized that the priorities include restoring the normal functioning of diplomatic missions in Washington and Moscow. This should facilitate more effective communication and further diplomatic dialog between the two countries.
The second point is the creation of a high-level team to negotiate a settlement to the war in Ukraine. The main goal is to achieve a lasting peace that is acceptable to all parties involved.
The third principle concerns the analysis of the possibilities of geopolitical and economic cooperation between the United States and Russia after the end of the conflict. Relevant discussions are scheduled to begin in the near future.
The fourth point was the confirmation of the continued participation of five key individuals in the negotiations. This group includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Walz, Special Envoy Steve Vitkoff, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov.
Reaction of the parties
According to Rubio, U.S. President Donald Trump is committed to ending the bloodshed and using his country’s influence to unite the states. He emphasized that Trump is the only world leader capable of convincing Ukraine and Russia to find a common solution.
At the same time, the Secretary of State emphasized that a single call or meeting is not enough to achieve a stable peace. According to him, the talks in Riyadh were an important step in this direction, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
Rubio also expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabia and personally to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their assistance in organizing the talks.
Prospects for further negotiations
The talks in Riyadh were the first official contact of this level between the United States and Russia after a long diplomatic pause. It is expected that the parties will continue the dialogue in the format of further meetings to develop specific mechanisms for implementing the agreements reached.
Ukraine’s reaction
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was in Turkey at the time of the talks, commented on the situation, emphasizing that Ukraine would not make any decisions without its participation.
“Russia issued ultimatums to us at the beginning of the war – to reduce the army, to submit to the pro-Russian government. We didn’t agree then, and we won’t do it now,” Zelenskyy said during a press conference in Ankara.
He also emphasized that he was ready to participate in the negotiations only if they involved states that could guarantee Ukraine’s security. The President noted that the talks between the US and Russia violate the principle of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy also suggested that Donald Trump’s phone call to Vladimir Putin could have influenced the course of further negotiations, which is a concern for Kyiv.
“We want to see at the negotiating table those who are able to provide Ukraine with security guarantees,” Zelenskyy summarized.
