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U.S. and Russia Agree on Principles for Future Ukraine Peace Talks in Saudi Arabia—Without Kyiv at the Table
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![Vlad Litnarovych]( "Vlad Litnarovych")
Senior diplomats from the United States and Russia met in Saudi Arabia to discuss restoring ties and negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announcing that the sides reached an agreement on four principles, marking a significant shift in American foreign policy under President Donald Trump, the Associated Press reported on February 18.
The meeting did not include Ukrainian officials, raising alarm in Kyiv and across Europe. As Ukrainian forces face mounting pressure from numerically superior Russian troops, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that his country would reject any deal negotiated without its involvement. European allies have echoed these concerns, fearing they are being sidelined in Washington’s sudden diplomatic push.
The high-level talks in Riyadh included Rubio, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and other senior officials. While the official agenda focused on Ukraine, both sides also explored ways to thaw bilateral relations, which have sunk to their lowest point in decades.
After the meeting, Rubio confirmed that the U.S. and Russia agreed on four principles at the end of talks on Ukraine.
First, the U.S. and Russia had agreed to restore embassy staffing levels in Washington and Moscow. The goal, he said, is to create diplomatic channels that could support future Ukraine peace talks and broader bilateral cooperation.
Both countries' embassies suffered heavy staffing cuts in recent years, with diplomats expelled amid deepening hostilities.
Second, appointing a high-level negotiating team to work on ending the war in Ukraine.
“We will appoint a high-level team to negotiate and find a solution that is sustainable and acceptable to all parties involved,” Rubio said.
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Third, they will initiate discussions on possible geopolitical and economic cooperation after the end of the war in Ukraine.
“We should start exploring the prospects for cooperation in the geopolitical and economic spheres that may open up as a result of the end of the war,” he added.
And the last, they will continue active participation in the negotiation process.
“The five participants in today’s meetings… will continue to engage in this process to ensure its productive development,” Rubio concluded.
The meeting was also seen as a stepping stone toward a potential face-to-face summit between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. However, no date has been set, and Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov cautioned that such a meeting is unlikely to happen next week.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, discussions focused on restoring U.S.-Russia relations, potential Ukraine peace talks, and the logistics of a Putin-Trump meeting.
Meanwhile, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated that the talks aimed to assess Russia’s seriousness about ending the war and whether meaningful negotiations could begin.
Despite the diplomatic breakthrough between Washington and Moscow, Ushakov admitted that little progress was made on substantive issues. While both sides agreed to “take each other’s interests into account”, he acknowledged that their positions “are not necessarily getting closer.”
The Kremlin insists it is open to peace talks. Peskov reiterated that Putin remains ready for negotiations but stressed that any durable settlement must include broader European security guarantees.
Earlier, the CEO of Germany’s largest defense concern Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, noted that decades of underinvestment in defense have left European nations “at the kids’ table” in discussions about Ukraine’s future.
