Russia Calls US Talks on Ukraine ‘Positive’ After Four-Hour Meeting

Russia describes its four-hour diplomatic discussions with the US on the Ukraine war as “positive,” raising hopes for potential progress in peace efforts.

According to a Kremlin delegate, the US and Russia engaged in a “positive, constructive” four-hour discussion regarding the war in Ukraine. This meeting took place in Saudi Arabia.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Both Ukraine and Europe were not included in the discussions.

According to our correspondent Tom Bateman, both parties remained silent before the meeting commenced. When I questioned Rubio about whether the US was sidelining Ukraine, he chose not to respond.

The Kremlin has stated that Vladimir Putin is ready to engage in discussions with Volodymyr Zelensky “if necessary.” However, Zelensky has consistently maintained that he will not acknowledge any peace agreement reached without Ukraine’s involvement.

The United States describes today’s discussions as an initial step to determine if Russia is “serious” about ending the war, while Russia expresses its hope to normalize relations with America.

Tymofiy Mylovanov, President of the Kyiv School of Economics, notes the irony in Russia acknowledging Ukraine’s “sovereign right” to join the European Union. This unexpected suggestion comes three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The aspiration to join the bloc, together with becoming a member of NATO, has been central to Ukraine’s ongoing political alignment with Western countries.

Russia’s 11-year campaign of aggression represents Moscow’s attempt to deprive Ukrainians of their aspirations and sovereign rights.

Now that the talks in Riyadh have concluded, some Russian delegates present there have begun sharing their thoughts on how they unfolded.

Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, mentioned on Russian state TV’s Channel One that “a very positive and constructive dialogue has started.”

In contrast to the Biden administration, which did not attempt to listen to Russia’s perspective, this initiative made a clear effort to engage in dialogue, understand Russia’s stance, and explore areas of agreement.

He adds: “We have many points of agreement… we’ve gotten to know each other much better… and our understanding of one another has improved significantly.”

Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Putin, commented on Russian state TV regarding the talks: “They went reasonably well… it’s difficult to determine if [Russia and the US] are moving closer, but that was a key topic of conversation. We engaged in a very thorough discussion about all the issues we intended to address. We’ve agreed to consider each other’s interests and work towards developing bilateral relations because both Moscow and Washington have vested interests in this.”

He mentions that they concurred on having a “distinct team of negotiators make contact in due course.”

The Kremlin’s recent statement that it would not oppose Ukraine’s EU membership marks an initial sign of compromise. However, this does not imply that such a development will occur soon.

Hungary and Slovakia, both of which maintain friendly relations with Russia, might impede or delay any accession process.

Furthermore, if Kyiv were to join the EU, it would probably do so without the security assurances that come with NATO membership.

If America is unwilling and Europe unable to protect Ukraine in the future, it may complicate the return of Ukrainian refugees and discourage European businesses from investing in the country.

BBC