18.02.2025, Moscow.
The delegations of Russia and the US held a “serious conversation” on all topics at the talks in Saudi Arabia. Russian presidential aid Yury Ushakov said this after the talks on the air of TV Channel One on February 18.
According to him, “it is still difficult to talk about rapprochement, but such a conversation has already taken place.”
The discussion touched on important topics, in particular, the beginning of a dialog between representatives of Russia and the United States on issues related to Ukraine. Ushakov noted that the sides outlined their principled positions on the topic and reached an agreement that separate teams of negotiators would make contact in the future. According to him, the US should appoint its representatives and Russia should appoint its representatives, and then perhaps the work will begin.
In the future, it is necessary to develop common approaches to resolving Taiwan issues. During the discussion, the two sides noted that it is important to agree on ways to resolve the Taiwan issue, including issues related to future relations between the countries.
During the talks, it was noted that the date for the start of contacts between Russia and the United States on the Ukraine issue will be determined by Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The president himself will make a decision when we receive the list of American participants,” Ushakov said.
The possibility of a meeting between the Russian and US presidents, which will probably not take place next week, was also discussed. “The organization of this meeting requires active work of the delegations of both countries. We are ready for such interaction, but it is still difficult to talk about the exact date of the meeting between the two leaders,” he said.
According to Ushakov, it was a “serious conversation” on all issues. The parties agreed to take into account each other’s interests, and in general, the talks went “well.”
Ushakov also said that the Russian delegation plans to work on the line of interaction with Saudi Arabia.
The talks between the Russian and US delegations began in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, around 10:30 a.m. Moscow time. The Russian side was represented by Yury Ushakov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. According to Yury Ushakov the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev may take part in the talks “on economic issues.”
From the United States, Secretary of State Mark Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff attended the talks.
The meeting lasted about four and a half hours. There was a 15-minute break in the middle of the meeting, and then, at about 2 p.m. Moscow time, the first part of the talks ended and the participants went on a lunch break.
During the conversation, “there was a clear attempt to initiate a dialog, to clarify Russia’s point of view, to discuss areas of agreement and possibly disagreement,” Kirill Dmitriev reported. In his opinion, there are “many common interests” between the US and Russia.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
