Russia hailed the "seriousness" of Tuesday's meeting in Riyadh between Russian and American negotiators, but deemed it premature to discuss a rapprochement in positions or a date for a summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
"It is still difficult to say if (Russian and American positions) have converged, but that was the topic," Kremlin negotiator Yuri Ushakov told Russian television, calling it premature to discuss "concrete dates for a meeting between the two leaders."
"It was a very serious conversation on all the topics we wanted to address," added Vladimir Putin's diplomatic adviser, noting that the meeting lasted four and a half hours.
On the Ukrainian issue, both parties agreed to form specific delegations of negotiators. The official did not mention any role for Kyiv or Europeans, who fear exclusion from discussions on Ukraine's future and the restructuring of Europe's security architecture.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the meeting as “an important step forward,” according to a State Department statement.
The US State Department stated that the American and Russian foreign ministers had agreed to establish a "consultation mechanism" to resolve disputes and appoint "high-level" teams to negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
Rubio mentioned that relations between Washington and Moscow could be strengthened if the war in Ukraine ends. He told reporters that there are “extraordinary opportunities for partnership” with Russia, but emphasised that “the key to achieving this is ending the conflict.”
The US official insisted that all interested parties, including the European Union, should have a seat at the negotiation table. He pointed out that the European Union will need to be involved due to their sanctions against Russia.
Previously, the Kremlin indicated that resolving the war in Ukraine was inseparable from reorganising Europe's security architecture.
Russia has long demanded the withdrawal of NATO forces from Eastern Europe, viewing the Alliance as an existential threat. This rationale was notably used to justify its offensive in Ukraine in 2022.
President Donald Trump's administration has been highly critical of its European allies and less inclined to support Ukraine.
Tuesday's meeting in Riyadh between Russian and American negotiators, led by foreign ministers Sergei Lavrov and Marco Rubio, marks a first at this level and in such a format since Russia's assault on Ukraine on 24 February 2022.
