Russia, US talk about finish of Ukraine battle — with out Kyiv

Saudi Arabia has additionally helped in prisoner negotiations and hosted Zelenskyy for an Arab League summit in 2023. Zelenskyy mentioned he would journey to the dominion later this week.

Rubio was accompanied by US nationwide safety adviser Mike Waltz and particular envoy Steve Witkoff, whereas Lavrov sat subsequent to the Kremlin’s overseas affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov.

Saudi overseas minister Faisal bin Farhan and nationwide safety adviser Musaed al Alban joined Rubio, Lavrov and others for the beginning of the assembly however have been anticipated to depart early within the talks.

Forward of the talks, Kirill Dmitriev, the pinnacle of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund who the Kremlin mentioned may be part of, underscored the significance of the assembly.

“Good US–Russia relations are crucial for the entire world. Solely collectively can Russia and the US tackle a number of world issues, resolve for international conflicts and provide options,” Dmitriev, who mentioned he and his workforce would deal with financial points on the talks, advised the AP.

The assembly marked essentially the most intensive contact between the 2 nations since Moscow’s 24 February 2022 invasion.

Lavrov and then-US secretary of state Antony Blinken talked briefly on the sidelines of a G20 assembly in India almost two years in the past in 2023, and within the fall of 2022, US and Russian spymasters met in Turkey amid Washington’s issues that Moscow might resort to nuclear weapons amid battlefield setbacks.

Struggle continues

In the meantime, Russia continued to pummel Ukraine with drones, in response to Kyiv’s army. The Ukrainian air power mentioned Russian troops launched a barrage of 176 drones at Ukraine in a single day, most of which have been destroyed or disabled by jamming.

One Russian drone struck a residential constructing in Dolynska within the Kirovohrad area, wounding a mom and her two kids and prompting an evacuation of 38 flats, the regional administration reported. 4 extra residential buildings have been broken by drone particles within the Cherkasy area of Ukraine, in response to an area official.