Russia-US talks begin in Er-Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)

The Russian side was represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, assistant to the head of state Yuri Ushakov and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev. The US side included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and US Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East Steven Witkoff.

The meeting is expected to discuss the restoration of the full range of bilateral relations, as well as preparations for the summit between the leaders of Russia and the United States and possible negotiations on the settlement of the Ukrainian issue.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump had a phone conversation that lasted nearly an hour and a half last Wednesday. The two leaders discussed issues related to the exchange of Russian and US citizens, as well as the settlement of the situation in Ukraine.