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The meeting takes place in the palace of the Saudi royal family
On Tuesday, 18 February, negotiations between the US and Russian delegations began in the Saudi capital Riyadh. According to RIA Novosti, the meeting is taking place at the Diriya Palace in the Albasatin complex, which belongs to the royal family.
Composition of delegations:
Russia is represented:
Sergey Lavrov – Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Yuri Ushakov – Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation
Kirill Dmitriev (may join) – Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund
The United States is represented by:
Marco Rubio – US Secretary of State
Mike Walz – National Security Advisor to the President of the United States
Steve Whitkoff – US Special Envoy for the Middle East
What is being discussed in Saudi Arabia?
The negotiations cover a wide range of issues, including:
Conditions for ending the war in Ukraine
Economic agreements between Russia and the West
The situation in the Middle East
It is noteworthy that Ukrainian representatives are not involved in the negotiations.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to arrive in Riyadh tomorrow, 19 February, but it is not yet known whether he will take part in discussions on the war.
What does this dialogue mean?
The meeting takes place against the backdrop of increased diplomatic activity to find possible peaceful solutions for Ukraine.
Russia is trying to strengthen its negotiating position by using the support of China, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The United States is looking for ways to put pressure on the Kremlin to force it to accept terms favourable to Ukraine and the West.
Ukraine is still excluded from the negotiation process, which may cause political tensions in Kyiv.
According to preliminary data, official statements following the meeting may be released by the end of the day.
