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Top diplomats from the United States and Russia met in Saudi Arabia to explore ways to improve bilateral relations and discuss potential resolutions to the war in Ukraine. However, no Ukrainian representatives were present at the talks—a fact that has drawn criticism from Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that his country would reject any outcomes from the discussions if it is not directly involved. European allies have also voiced concerns about being sidelined.
The meeting was attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Restoring Embassy Staffing
According to an Associated Press report, Rubio confirmed that Washington and Moscow have agreed to restore staffing levels at their respective embassies. Over the years, diplomatic missions on both sides have suffered from mass expulsions as relations deteriorated, particularly following U.S. and European sanctions imposed on Russia.
Irony as Europe holds summits concerning the war in Ukraine as US and Russia begins negotiations in Saudi Arabia pic.twitter.com/aHR7QHCN7G
— BRICS Reports (@BRICSOnah) February 18, 2025
Gill Bikram Singh