The primary objective of the meeting was to conduct diplomatic «reconnaissance» ahead of potential negotiations on Ukraine and to explore ways to restore US-Russia channels of communication.
The five-hour discussions, while yielding no major progress on Ukraine, marked an initial step toward reviving dialogue between Washington and Moscow, independent of the ongoing conflict.
A key development was an agreement to restore pre-crisis levels of diplomatic personnel at both countries’ embassies, enabling continued bilateral talks.
Representing Moscow were Presidential Aide for Foreign Policy Yury Ushakov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev. Their US counterparts included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy for Middle East Peace Steven Witkoff.
Lavrov and Rubio also agreed to address broader geopolitical challenges of mutual concern. While details remain undisclosed, discussions likely touched upon strategic stability, particularly in light of the termination of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019.
Additionally, both delegations considered the groundwork for a potential summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Riyadh. To this end, Washington and Moscow pledged to work toward creating the necessary conditions for such a high-level dialogue, emphasizing a mutual understanding of each other’s strategic interests.
The talks between Russia and the US should be seen as an initial attempt to «gauge the situation» in search of common ground, Senior Fellow at the Institute of the US and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences Pavel Koshkin told Vedomosti.
The discussions in Riyadh, which resulted in agreements on the creation of working groups and the resumption of regular diplomatic functions in Washington and Moscow, indicate a positive shift in bilateral relations, Lev Sokolshchik, Expert at the Center for Comprehensive European Studies and International Relations at the Higher School of Economics told Vedomosti.
Dmitry Suslov, specialist at the Russian International Affairs Council, told the newspaper that the high-level talks in Riyadh marked a significant moment, as the US did not outrightly reject Russia’s concerns but recognized them in the discussions.
The so-called «Zelensky factor» poses a significant barrier to the initiated negotiation process, potentially slowing its momentum, Izvestia writes. Zelensky continues to adopt a confrontational stance toward Moscow, showing no indication of readiness for a productive dialogue.
«Zelensky is undoubtedly a complicating factor, and there are numerous reasons why he could delay any potential agreement. The Ukrainian side may even attempt to disregard Russian-US accords altogether, instead relying on support from Washington’s European allies. However, the key question remains: can Europe fully replace the United States as Kiev’s primary provider of military and economic assistance?» Andrey Kortunov, Scientific Director of the Russian International Affairs Council, told Izvestia.
Europe’s role in resolving the Ukrainian crisis remains uncertain. While Washington does not rule out the eventual involvement of EU countries given their sanctions against Moscow, Russia firmly rejects this notion.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko emphasized that the European Union will have no involvement in the upcoming talks on Ukraine.
