RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – High-level delegations from the United States and Russia are set to meet in the Saudi capital on Tuesday, marking a significant shift after years of diplomatic freeze.
The talks, aimed at exploring potential resolutions to the ongoing war in Ukraine and reviving strained bilateral ties, come amid growing signals that Washington is reconsidering its approach to Moscow.
Representing Russia will be Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, acting under the direction of President Vladimir Putin.
The US delegation will be led by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
The meeting is expected to lay the groundwork for a possible future summit between Putin and US President Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed.
For years, US-Russia relations have been defined by tensions, sanctions, and diplomatic standoffs.
This latest move signals a potential shift, with both sides acknowledging the failures of previous strategies.
While Washington once sought to isolate Moscow, the current administration appears more willing to engage.
A recent phone call between Trump and Putin on February 12 reinforced this sentiment, with both leaders agreeing that ties between the two nations had been severely damaged under former President Joe Biden.
Ahead of the Riyadh talks, Lavrov and Rubio also spoke by phone in what was described as a constructive conversation.
The US side reportedly stressed the importance of maintaining diplomatic channels, including the proper functioning of embassies in Washington and Moscow.
A major point of interest in the discussions is the war in Ukraine.
Moscow has long expressed willingness for negotiations but insists that it is up to the US—Ukraine’s key backer—to resume dialogue.
Notably absent from the talks is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has dismissed the meeting’s significance.
He is expected to visit Riyadh a day later but has stated that Kyiv neither participated in nor recognizes the outcomes of the US-Russia discussions.
While it remains unclear whether the Riyadh meeting will produce tangible results, it represents a rare moment of engagement between two global powers whose relationship has been frozen since the outbreak of the Ukraine war.
Both sides will brief their respective presidents on the outcome, and the next steps—including a possible Putin-Trump summit—will be determined thereafter.
