US and Russia Agree to Set Up Negotiating Teams Amid Ukraine War, Kyiv Excluded from Talks
In a significant diplomatic development, Russia and the United States have agreed to establish teams aimed at negotiating a resolution to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
This decision came after high-level talks between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Riyadh on Tuesday, marking the first official talks between the two countries since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The announcement has sparked controversy, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the exclusion of Kyiv from the talks. Zelensky emphasized that any peace negotiations must be “fair” and involve European countries, including Turkey, which has offered to host the discussions. Ukrainian officials warned that initiating talks without Ukraine’s participation would only strengthen Russian President Vladimir Putin’s position.
The talks, which lasted over four hours, highlighted key concerns over the future of Europe’s security architecture. Moscow reiterated its stance on opposing NATO’s presence in Ukraine, while both the US and Russia agreed to set up high-level teams to work on a path toward ending the conflict.
Despite the exclusion of Ukraine, the US did acknowledge that European nations would need to be involved in any future negotiations. Rubio stated that the European Union, which has imposed sanctions on Russia, would need to be at the table eventually. European leaders, however, have shown differing views on the issue, with some suggesting the possibility of sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine.
The talks also revealed differing perspectives on how to resolve the war. Russia continues to demand the withdrawal of NATO forces from Eastern Europe, while the US has stressed that any peace agreement will require concessions from both sides. The US, however, has not presented a concrete plan for ending the war, and Russian officials maintain that they will not consider giving up the territory they have seized from Ukraine.
In addition to the talks between the US and Russia, diplomatic efforts continue in Europe and Turkey, with Ukrainian President Zelensky meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the conflict. The outcome of these negotiations, while still uncertain, could play a crucial role in shaping the future of the war and Europe’s security landscape.
