Rubio makes progress with Russia after Trump promised to bring end to war in Ukraine

The United States and Russia took a significant step towards improving diplomatic ties on Tuesday as Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with top officials from Moscow in an effort to find an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The 4.5-hour meeting between Rubio and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, took place in Saudi Arabia and resulted in plans to reestablish the functionality of diplomatic missions in Washington and Moscow.

Rubio outlined several steps that the U.S. plans to pursue in order to facilitate peace in Ukraine. One of these steps includes establishing a high-level team to help negotiate an end to the conflict, although details on the leadership of this team were not disclosed. Additionally, the Trump administration aims to expand geopolitical and economic relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin.

While Rubio did not provide specifics on when or how the U.S. would lift sanctions on Russia, he hinted that the European Union would need to be involved in these discussions due to their own strict sanctions against Russia. Concerns over EU involvement in negotiations between Ukraine and Russia have been raised, but Rubio reassured that no one is being sidelined and that President Trump is committed to finding a resolution to the conflict.

Following the meeting, it was agreed that the five men involved would remain engaged in the negotiation process to ensure progress continues in a productive manner. This group included Rubio, Lavrov, Trump’s national security advisor Michael Waltz, special Mideast envoy Steven Witkoff, and Putin’s foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov.

Despite the positive developments in diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy canceled his trip to Saudi Arabia in response to the talks held without Ukrainian representation. Zelenskyy has made it clear that any ceasefire negotiations must involve coordinated efforts with Kyiv. Special envoy Keith Kellogg is set to meet with Zelenskyy in Kyiv this week to discuss the ongoing situation.

European leaders are also looking to convene a second emergency summit to address Ukraine and Europe’s security concerns. It remains to be seen how these talks will progress and what role the EU will play in negotiations moving forward. The State Department has not yet provided further details on these developments.

Overall, the meeting between U.S. and Russian officials marks a positive step towards finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. By engaging in diplomatic talks and involving key stakeholders, there is hope for progress and stability in the region.