Trump, Putin prepare meeting after consultations in Riyadh – Bloomberg
18 February 16:41
US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will meet in Saudi Arabia next week. This was reported by Bloomberg, according to Komersant ukrainskyi.
“The talks in Riyadh follow Trump’s landmark phone call with Putin last week, in which he changed key U.S. positions on the conflict. They could pave the way for a summit between the two leaders as early as next week,” the newspaper writes.
According to a State Department spokesman, who was also quoted by the media, today’s meeting is a way to “determine whether the Russians are serious and on the same page” as the United States on ending the war in Ukraine.
According to media reports, the delegations of the two countries may agree on the meeting as early as today, February 18. The venue in question is Saudi Arabia, where the Russian and US delegations are currently meeting.
At the same time, Yuri Ushakov, a representative of the Russian side at the consultations in Saudi Arabia, said that they went “well,” but he personally doubts that Trump and Putin will meet next week.
“The parties agreed to promote bilateral relations and respect each other’s interests, but it’s hard to say that the positions of Russia and the United States are converging,” Ushakov said.
What is known about the talks in Riyadh
on February 18, an official meeting between the delegations of Russia and the United States took place in the Saudi capital and lasted 4.5 hours. The American side was represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. The Russian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. The talks were held at the Diria Palace in the Albasatin complex. The main topics of discussion were bilateral relations, possible ways to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, and preparations for a personal meeting between the presidents. After the talks, the American side said that the discussion of a ceasefire was at an early stage and that further consultations would continue in the coming weeks.
Ukraine’s position
on February 17, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concern over the negotiations, which are taking place without Kyiv’s participation. He emphasized that Ukraine does not recognize any agreements reached without its direct participation and called on the international community to take into account his country’s interests in the conflict resolution process.
