U. S. and Russia: A New Chapter in the Ukraine Conflict

In a surprising move, top officials from the U. S. and Russia gathered in Saudi Arabia to kick off talks aimed at improving their relationship and finding a way to end the Ukraine war. This meeting, held at the Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, marked a significant shift in U. S. policy, which had previously focused on isolating Russia due to its actions in Ukraine. The absence of Ukrainian representatives raised eyebrows, as the fate of their nation was being discussed without their input. The meeting was led by U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The goal was to pave the way for a potential meeting between the U. S. President and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The U. S. and Russian delegations agreed to set up a "consultation mechanism" to address issues in their bilateral relationship. This includes re-staffing their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow. They also agreed to form high-level teams to work on a sustainable path to end the conflict in Ukraine. However, there was no mention of involving Ukraine or its European neighbors in these negotiations. The U. S. State Department claimed that the U. S. President was the only leader who could broker a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made it clear that his country would not accept any negotiations conducted without Kyiv's involvement. Despite this, U. S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz suggested that Ukraine's government would have a say in the process, citing recent phone calls and meetings with European officials.The economic aspect of the discussions was also highlighted. The U. S. and Russia agreed to cooperate on economic and investment opportunities that could arise from a successful end to the conflict. This included discussions with senior Russian businessman Kirill Dmitriev, who heads a government-created investment fund. The talks marked a significant expansion of U. S. -Russian contacts nearly three years into a war that has seen relations fall to the lowest level in decades. The meeting also highlighted the growing influence of Saudi Arabia in international diplomacy, as it hosted the talks and aimed to position itself as a key player in global negotiations. The meeting came at a time when European powers were scrambling to ensure their involvement in the negotiations. France called an emergency meeting of European Union countries and the U. K. to decide how to respond. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer both expressed their support for a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine. The talks also highlighted the complex dynamics between the U. S. , Russia, and Saudi Arabia. The meeting was seen as a boost for the status of Saudi Arabia, which has been working to position itself as a key player in international diplomacy. The kingdom has maintained close relations with Russia throughout the war on Ukraine, both through the OPEC+ oil cartel and diplomatically. The meeting also comes at a time when the kingdom's media has been critical of the U. S. President's comments about the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians want Gaza and the West Bank for a future state, something backed by the wider Arab world and nearly all of the international community.