First Step to Peace? U.S. and Russian Officials Meet in Riyadh for Talks

TDT | Manama

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday ahead of anticipated discussions with Russian officials, marking a significant diplomatic effort aimed at ending Moscow’s nearly three-year war in Ukraine.

The high-level negotiations follow a phone call last week between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the call, Trump instructed top officials to commence talks on resolving the conflict, fulfilling a key promise from his presidential campaign.

Saudi Arabia, which has also been engaged in discussions with Washington regarding the future of the Gaza Strip, played a crucial role in facilitating early contacts between the newly inaugurated Trump administration and Moscow. The kingdom recently assisted in brokering a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, underscoring its growing diplomatic influence.

Rubio, who spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday, is set to meet Russian officials in Riyadh alongside Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and White House Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. While details regarding the Russian delegation remain undisclosed, sources indicate that the discussions will take place on Tuesday.

Russian newspaper Kommersant, citing unnamed sources, reported that the talks in Riyadh will serve as a precursor to a potential meeting between Trump and Putin, marking one of the first in-person high-level discussions between Russian and U.S. officials in years.

Speaking on Sunday, Rubio emphasized the importance of the coming days and weeks in determining whether Putin is genuinely willing to pursue peace.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also in the region. Having arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, Zelenskyy stated his intention to visit Saudi Arabia and Turkey, though no specific dates were confirmed. However, he noted that he had no plans to meet with Russian or U.S. officials, and Ukraine is not expected to be involved in the Saudi-hosted negotiations.