The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, described the meeting as "very useful." Without the presence of Ukrainian representatives, the country continues to lose ground to Russian forces, who launched an invasion almost three years ago. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected any outcome of the negotiations and postponed his trip to Saudi Arabia.
Preparations for a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are underway, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov, marking a significant change in Moscow's isolation due to the situation in Ukraine. Ryabkov mentioned that global issues, in addition to the Ukrainian conflict, would be addressed at this potential summit, seeking to normalize relations between the two countries and tackle potentially dangerous situations.
Despite being in the early stages, efforts are being made to organize the meeting between the leaders, which will require intensive preparatory work. Representatives from the U.S. and Russia could meet in the next two weeks to advance these discussions. Both sides agreed at a recent meeting in Saudi Arabia to seek an end to the conflict in Ukraine and enhance their diplomatic and economic ties.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported that an agreement has been reached for the return of diplomatic staff to their respective embassies, the creation of a team to support peace talks in Ukraine, and the exploration of closer economic cooperation. However, the need for more work and ongoing dialogue was emphasized. Meanwhile, European allies have expressed their concern about feeling sidelined in this process.
