US-Russia Meeting in Saudi Arabia Concludes with Agreement to Form Negotiation Groups

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that during the talks, the US and Russian delegations agreed to ‘establish a mechanism for consultations to address the irritants’ in relations between Russia and the US, and to appoint relevant high-level groups to begin work on ways to end the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible ‘in a way that is durable, sustainable and acceptable to all parties’.

The two sides also agreed to lay the groundwork for future cooperation on issues of mutual geopolitical interest, as well as the historic economic and investment opportunities that will arise from a successful end to the conflict in Ukraine.

‘One phone call followed by one meeting is not enough to establish a lasting peace,’ Bruce said.

Other US officials present at the talks in Riyadh include US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff.

On the Russian side, the meeting was attended by an aide to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Yuri Ushakov, and the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, who played a key behind-the-scenes role in the recent deal to release prisoners in the United States.

As reported by The Gaze, today, on Tuesday, 18 February, negotiations between the US delegation and representatives of the aggressor country Russia took place in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met before the talks on ending the war in Ukraine.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is afraid of direct talks with Ukraine, considering such actions a loss and weakness.

The day before, commenting on the upcoming talks between the Russian and American sides in Saudi Arabia, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine would not participate in them and would not recognise the results.