Russia and the United States reached an agreement on Tuesday to begin efforts toward ending the war in Ukraine and enhancing their diplomatic and economic relations, according to statements from both nations’ top diplomats. This marks a dramatic shift in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump.
In an interview with The Associated Press following the discussions, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined three primary objectives that both parties broadly agreed upon. These include restoring staffing levels at their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow, forming a high-level team to assist in Ukraine peace negotiations, and exploring opportunities for closer diplomatic and economic ties.
However, Rubio emphasized that the meeting, which included his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and senior officials from both sides, was merely the beginning of a dialogue, with substantial work still ahead.
Lavrov echoed this sentiment, telling reporters that “the conversation was very useful.” He further stated, “We not only listened, but also heard each other.”
Among those present at the meeting were Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz, and special Mideast envoy Steven Witkoff, along with Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov.
Despite the significant discussions, no Ukrainian representatives were involved. The talks took place as Ukraine continues to struggle in the face of superior Russian military strength in a prolonged conflict that began nearly three years ago.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made it clear that his country would not recognize any conclusions reached in the talks, given that Kyiv had no participation. In response, he postponed his planned visit to Saudi Arabia, originally scheduled for Wednesday.
European allies also voiced concerns about potentially being sidelined in the discussions.
Trump, however, showed little tolerance for Ukraine’s complaints about being excluded. He criticized Ukraine’s leaders for failing to prevent the war, implying that they should have made compromises with Russia before the full-scale invasion in 2022.
“Today I heard, ‘Oh, well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you been there for three years. You should have ended it three years ago,” Trump remarked at a news conference at his Florida residence. “You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”
Efforts to Improve U.S.-Russia Relations
Relations between the U.S. and Russia have deteriorated significantly over the years, reaching their lowest point in decades. The decline began with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and worsened with Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The U.S., in coordination with European nations, imposed extensive sanctions on Russia to weaken its economy. Additionally, diplomatic tensions escalated as both nations expelled large numbers of each other’s diplomats and implemented restrictions on their embassies.
Rubio suggested on Tuesday that resolving the war in Ukraine could serve as a gateway to unlocking “incredible opportunities” for U.S.-Russia cooperation on mutual interests. He expressed optimism that such collaboration could be beneficial for global stability and lead to improved bilateral relations in the long term.
His remarks signified a striking shift in U.S. policy toward Russia. Under Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, Washington spearheaded global efforts to isolate Moscow diplomatically and economically.
Tuesday’s discussions were also intended to lay the groundwork for a potential summit between Trump and Putin. However, according to Ushakov and Waltz, no date has been set for such a meeting. Ushakov indicated that a summit was “unlikely” to occur next week, while Waltz suggested that an arrangement could be made in the coming weeks.
Speaking to reporters post-meeting, Lavrov reiterated the same three objectives outlined by Rubio. He further stated that Washington and Moscow agreed to assign representatives for “regular consultations” on Ukraine.
“I have reason to believe that the American side has started to better understand our position,” Lavrov remarked.
This meeting marked the most extensive diplomatic engagement between the two nations since Russia launched its invasion on February 24, 2022. Previously, Lavrov and then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had only engaged in brief discussions on the sidelines of a G-20 meeting in India nearly two years ago, during a period of heightened tensions.
Concerns Over Being Sidelined
The recent U.S. diplomatic push regarding the Ukraine war has left Kyiv and key Western allies scrambling to ensure they are involved in any decisions. Many fear that Washington and Moscow might pursue an agreement that does not align with their interests.
Ukraine’s exclusion from Tuesday’s discussions frustrated many in the country. In response, France called an emergency meeting of European Union member states and the United Kingdom on Monday to deliberate over the war. During Biden’s presidency, U.S. policy was firm in ensuring Ukraine’s participation in such negotiations.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce clarified that the talks were designed to gauge Russia’s seriousness about achieving peace and to assess whether formal negotiations could commence.
Rubio assured that there would be “engagement and consultation with Ukraine, with our partners in Europe and others. But ultimately, the Russian side will be indispensable to this effort.”
He further acknowledged that ending the war would require concessions from all parties and emphasized that the U.S. “is not going to predetermine” what those concessions might be.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested last week that NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic. He also hinted that Kyiv may need to abandon its goal of reclaiming all territories lost to Russia—two critical demands from Putin’s side.
French President Emmanuel Macron disclosed that he had phone conversations with both Trump and Zelenskyy after Monday’s European meeting.
“We seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine,” Macron wrote on the social media platform X. “To achieve this, Russia must end its aggression, and this must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees for the Ukrainians.” He pledged to “work on this together with all Europeans, Americans, and Ukrainians.”
Saudi Arabia’s Role in the Talks
The meeting was held at the Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, highlighting the kingdom’s aspirations to be a major diplomatic force. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been actively working to bolster his international standing, particularly after his reputation was damaged by the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Saudi state media reported that the discussions were held under the prince’s directive. Like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia has maintained strong relations with Russia throughout the Ukraine war, both through its participation in the OPEC+ oil cartel and diplomatic engagements.
Saudi Arabia has also played a role in prisoner exchanges and hosted Zelenskyy during an Arab League summit in 2023.
However, Zelenskyy postponed his visit to Saudi Arabia this week, possibly to avoid any perception that his trip was linked to the U.S.-Russia talks, given Ukraine’s exclusion. His visit has been rescheduled for March 10.
Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine
Despite diplomatic efforts, Russia has continued its military offensive against Ukraine. According to Ukraine’s military, Russian forces launched a large-scale drone attack overnight.
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russian troops deployed 176 drones, most of which were intercepted or disabled through electronic jamming.
One Russian drone managed to hit a residential building in Dolynska, located in Ukraine’s Kirovohrad region. As a result, a mother and her two children were injured, prompting the evacuation of 38 apartments, as confirmed by the regional administration.