US and Russia agree to build roadmap to end conflict in Ukraine after 4.5 hours of talks
Diplomatic delegations from the United States and Russia held talks today (February 18) on efforts to end the Ukraine conflict in the capital Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
According to a statement posted on the US State Department website, the talks between the US delegation and the Russian side officially took place at the Diriyah Palace of the Saudi Royal Family, with the participation of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. After 4 and a half hours, the meeting between the two sides ended and reached consensus on the following issues.
“The United States and Russia have established a consultation mechanism to address pressing issues in their bilateral relationship, with the goal of taking the necessary steps to normalize the activities of their diplomatic missions… Designate respective high-level teams to begin developing a roadmap to end the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible in a sustainable, long-term, and mutually acceptable manner,” the statement said.
“At the same time, the United States and Russia laid the groundwork for future cooperation on issues of mutual interest around geopolitics and the historic economic and investment opportunities that will emerge from the end of the conflict in Ukraine. The participants in today’s talks pledged to continue to engage to ensure that the process can proceed in a timely and effective manner,” the statement added.
The US State Department affirmed that both Washington and Moscow need to act together, "and today the two countries took an important step forward."
It is known that neither Ukraine nor the European Union (EU) were invited to attend this meeting. The Kiev government has stated that it will not recognize the results of the negotiations if Ukraine is not allowed to participate.
