Putin sends foreign minister and top adviser to Saudi Arabia for talks
Last Updated on February 19, 2025 6:40 am
Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent his foreign minister and top adviser to Saudi Arabia for talks with US officials.
The main topic of discussion between the two sides in the Middle Eastern powerhouse is the restoration of Russia-US relations and a possible end to the war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Saudi Arabia long before the expected start of talks with Russian officials to end the war in Ukraine. He arrived in Riyadh on Monday local time.
Earlier, in a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, Putin agreed to immediately start talks to end the war in Ukraine. The two leaders also discussed the Middle East, energy, the US dollar and artificial intelligence.
Who will be in the Russian-US delegation?
The country’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the Kremlin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov will be representing Russia in the expected talks.
On the other hand, the US side will be represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz and the White House’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Meanwhile, a Reuters report claims that the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev, will also meet with US representatives.
Main topics of discussion
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the topics of this much-discussed discussion are the restoration of Russia-US relations, possible talks to end the Ukraine war and
Preparations for a direct Putin-Trump meeting.
Could the Putin-Trump meeting take place in Saudi Arabia?
There has been no official announcement yet on whether the direct meeting and meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will take place in Saudi Arabia.
However, it is expected that these discussions can open new horizons in Russia-US relations and important steps can be taken to resolve the Ukraine crisis.
Source: Reuters