Moscow [Russia], February 19 (ANI): After more than four hours of talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with other officials, agreed on four key principles aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Both sides expressed a strong commitment to addressing the root causes of the conflict and working towards a solution acceptable to all parties involved.
The discussions focused on a wide range of issues, including the situation in Ukraine, and the two nations agreed to appoint a high-level team to “negotiate and work through the end of the conflict in Ukraine,” according to Rubio. This team would ensure the process is “acceptable to all the parties engaged,” CNN reported.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was not part of the talks, made it clear that Ukraine would not “give in to Russia’s ultimatums” and would not sign any agreement made without Ukraine’s participation.
In a post on X, the Russian Foreign Ministry provided further details on the discussions, which included not only the situation in Ukraine but also broader issues concerning bilateral relations between the two countries. It stated, “FM Sergey #Lavrov and Presidential Aide Yury #Ushakov held talks with Secretary of State @SecRubio, National Security Adviser @michaelgwaltz, and US Special Envoy to the Middle East @SteveWitkoff. The sides agreed to establish #RussiaUS dialogue.”
Russian Foreign Ministry’s Press Release
The Russian Foreign Ministry also issued a press release outlining the consultations. The participants discussed prospects for normalizing bilateral relations and agreed to appoint ambassadors as soon as possible. They also planned consultations at the level of deputy foreign ministers to remove restrictions on the activities of diplomatic missions between the two nations.
In addition, the Russian side emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes of the Ukraine conflict, creating the proper conditions for a lasting peace, and ensuring the security and legitimate interests of all countries in the region. Both nations agreed to continue joint work in this area, with special envoys to be appointed soon.
Furthermore, the US and Russia agreed to resume communication channels to discuss other international matters, mindful of their special responsibility as nuclear powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council. Both sides expressed interest in preparing for a meeting between the Russian and American presidents.
Trump’s Comments on the Conflict
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, commenting on the progress of the Russia-US talks, expressed confidence that Russia wants to end the war. Trump described the ongoing conflict as “senseless” and emphasized that the war “should have never happened” and would not have occurred under his leadership.
While signing executive orders at Mar-a-Lago, Trump stated, “Russia wants to do something. They want to stop the barbarianism that’s going on over there. Soldiers are being killed by thousands on a weekly basis. Apart from Russian and Ukrainian soldiers, a lot of Koreans have been killed.”
Trump also added, “We want to end it. It’s a senseless war. It should have never happened; it would have never happened if I were President.”
