The U.S. and Russia have agreed to appoint “high-level” teams to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, the US State Department has announced following a discussion between both parties in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
According to US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, the discussions are just part of discussions aimed at both ending the war and calming tensions between both countries.
“One phone call followed by one meeting is not sufficient to establish enduring peace,” Bruce stated.
“We must take action, and today we took an important step forward,” she added.
Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, speaking to reporters after the meeting, said both nations had agreed to “create conditions to restore cooperation in full.”
The agreement marks a significant step towards a diplomatic approach to ending the war, though the absence of Ukrainian officials from the discussions has drawn criticism from Kyiv.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized the meeting for taking place without Ukrainian representation.
Speaking in Ankara alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Zelensky warned reiterated that he will not accept any agreements that do not include Ukraine as a key decision-maker.
“It is fundamentally important that any talks to end the war do not happen behind the backs of the parties involved,” Zelensky stated.
“The negotiation table must represent all parties—America, Europe, and Ukraine,” he added.
Zelensky further cautioned against potential mistakes in peace talks, emphasizing that any rushed or unbalanced settlement could lead to future conflict.
However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking after the Riyadh talks, reassured allies that the negotiations were not excluding key players.
“No one is being sidelined here,” Rubio said, emphasizing that any resolution must be acceptable to all parties involved.
“These are the kind of things that take place through hard and difficult diplomacy in closed rooms over a period of time,” Rubio said.
Despite the progress, Rubio acknowledged that achieving a lasting peace will require more discussions and careful diplomacy.
“This is the first step of a long and difficult journey, but it is an important one,” he said.
The coming weeks are likely to determine how the newly established teams will operate and whether Ukraine will be brought into the discussions.