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Russia, US hold landmark talks to restore ties | Key takeaways
Top US and Russian diplomats met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss improving ties and negotiating an end to war in Ukraine. Read on to know key takeaways.
The top diplomats from Russia and the US met in Saudi Arabia to discuss ways to improve ties between the two countries and negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. Notably, no Ukrainian officials were present at the meeting.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country won’t accept any outcome from this week’s talks if Kyiv doesn’t take part. European allies have also expressed concerns they are being sidelined. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attended the meeting.
Also read: European leaders want a say in talks to end Russia's war in Ukraine. The U.S. is brushing them off
Key takeaways from US-Russia talks
Restoring staffing at embassies: Marco Rubio said that the two countries agreed to restore staffing at their respective embassies, according to an Associated Press report. Both embassies have been hit hard by expulsions of large numbers of diplomats over the course of several years as relations sourced and the US, along with European nations, imposed a raft of sanctions on Russia.
Putin-Trump meet soon? The meeting was also meant to pave the way for a summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin’s Foreign Affairs Advisor, Yuri Ushakov, told Russia’s Channel One that no date has been set yet for that summit but that it was “unlikely” to take place next week.
Also read: Ukraine's Zelenskiy wants to discuss with US fate of minerals in areas held by Russia
Ushakov said that the two nations agreed to “take each other's interests into account” and advance their relations but said it was “hard to say” that their positions “are getting closer”.
US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce has said the meeting was aimed at determining how serious the Russians are about wanting peace and whether detailed negotiations can be started regarding an end to the war in Ukraine.
Also read: Putin willing to negotiate with Zelensky if necessary, but…: Kremlin
Sanctions: Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that the US was in favour of cutting sanctions on Moscow imposed over its Ukraine offensive. "There was strong interest in removing artificial barriers to the development of mutually beneficial economic cooperation," AFP quoted Lavrov telling reporters after talks in Riyadh.
Allies concerned they're being sidelined
Ukraine's absence at the talks troubled many Ukrainians and France called an emergency meeting of EU countries and the UK to discuss the war.
Rubio, on the other hand, stated that ending the war in Ukraine would require everybody's participation and added that EU would be part of the talks.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has postponed his trip to Saudi Arabia scheduled for this week. The leader said he wanted to avoid his visit being linked to the US-Russia talks. His visit has now been rescheduled for March 10.
