US and Russia Hold Ministerial Talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Six Days After Trump and Putin Agree to Begin Peace Discussions
High-Level Negotiation Team Formed; Postwar Ukraine Reconstruction on the Agenda
Sanctions Relief for Russia Discussed... US Demands Concessions from EU
Zelensky: "We Were Not Invited... Ukraine Must Not Be Excluded from Negotiations"
The United States and Russia have formed a high-level negotiation team to end the war in Ukraine and agreed to expand cooperation for post-war reconstruction in Ukraine. They also demanded 'concessions' from the European Union (EU) while discussing the lifting of sanctions against Russia. By sidelining Ukraine, the war party, the US and Russia emphasized their willingness to negotiate an end to the war, ease sanctions on Russia, and improve bilateral relations, which has sparked strong backlash from Ukraine and Europe.
On the 18th (local time), the United States and Russia held their first ministerial-level talks since the second Trump administration began, in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
From the US side, Secretary of State Mark Rubio, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy for Addiction Steve Witkoff attended. From Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov were present.
After the 4-hour and 30-minute meeting, Secretary Rubio announced that the two countries would normalize diplomatic missions and form a high-level team to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. He said, "We agreed to discuss, think about, and review the possibility of geopolitical and economic cooperation once the Ukraine conflict ends." He also explained, seemingly aware of the controversy over sidelining Ukraine and Europe, that "there will be participation and consultation with Ukraine, European partners, and other countries." However, he did not specify what role Ukraine would play in future peace negotiations.
Foreign Minister Lavrov described the meeting as "very useful" and said, "There is reason to believe that the US side has begun to better understand our position."
The talks also included discussions on lifting sanctions imposed on Russia after the Ukraine war. Secretary Rubio made it clear that the lifting of sanctions on Russia was on the negotiation table.
Rubio stated, "Sanctions were imposed as a result of this conflict," and added, "To end the conflict, concessions are needed on all fronts." He emphasized that EU member states, which have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia, must come to the negotiating table.
Minister Lavrov also said, "There was strong interest in removing artificial barriers that hinder the development of mutually beneficial economic cooperation."
The high-level contact between the two sides took place swiftly, just six days after President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a phone call on the 12th to immediately start discussions to end the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine and Europe strongly opposed the US-Russia peace talks that sidelined the main parties involved.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, visiting T?rkiye on the same day, expressed strong dissatisfaction, saying, "We were not invited to the US-Russia meeting held in Saudi Arabia," and added, "It was surprising to us and likely to many others as well." He stressed that negotiations "should not take place behind the backs of the main actors" and that no decision "should be imposed on Ukraine." Zelensky, who held a summit with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an to secure allies, also canceled his planned visit to Saudi Arabia.
Valdis Dombrovskis, EU Commissioner for Economy, stated at a press conference that "additional measures targeting Russia are being prepared," indicating sanctions. Kaya Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, also made clear her opposition to easing sanctions in a local media interview, saying, "It is not wise to give up the strong cards we hold."
Earlier, the US had signaled that peace negotiations to end the Ukraine war would likely favor Russia. On the 12th, President Trump and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed negative views on Ukraine's NATO membership and the return of Ukrainian territories forcibly annexed or occupied by Russia. These had been conditions for peace negotiations demanded by Ukraine, along with the deployment of peacekeeping forces including the US in Ukraine. Secretary Hegseth also confirmed that there would be no deployment of US troops in Ukraine.
The US daily Washington Post (WP) reported, "This meeting is making Ukraine and European allies very uneasy," and described it as "a turning point in Washington's handling of the most destructive conflict in Europe in decades, as well as a signal of the US president's determination to bypass allies in order to impose a swift peace."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
