Russia and U.S. set teams for Ukraine talks, EU to join
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have agreed to set up teams aimed at achieving a swift resolution to the war in Ukraine. The European Union will have a seat at the negotiation table.
Tuesday's discussions between the Russian and American delegations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, lasted over four hours. These talks marked the first such meeting since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
During a press conference following the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the only leader in the world who can initiate the negotiation process and bring an end to the conflict is Donald Trump.
"Rubio says ending Russia's war in Ukraine will require concessions from all sides and that Europe will be part of talks," reports AP. He suggested it will be necessary to lift sanctions against Russia, highlighting the importance of the European Union's involvement, as they too have imposed sanctions.
He stated that the European Union must have a seat at the negotiation table because they have also implemented their sanctions.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed to cooperate on matters of mutual geopolitical interest, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce announced on Tuesday after the delegation talks between the two countries in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
