Iruni Kalupahana JadeTimes Staff
I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Russia-Ukraine war
U.S. and Russia Agree to High-Level Negotiations
In a significant diplomatic development, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss steps toward ending the war in Ukraine. Both parties agreed to appoint "high-level teams" tasked with negotiating a resolution that would be "enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all sides," according to U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. However, it remains unclear whether Ukraine will be a part of the negotiations since there were no officials from Ukraine attending the meeting. Rubio pointed out that the European Union, not being a member of Ukraine, is still anticipated to play an important role in future discussions.
Prospects for U.S.-Russia Cooperation
The U.S. and Russia also committed to considering potential areas of cooperation in "mutual geopolitical interests and historic economic and investment opportunities," which might arise following the resolution of the war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that the recent Riyadh meeting might be a precursor to future talks between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, no date has been set for the official meeting according to Putin's foreign affairs advisor, Yuri Ushakov. He made this statement recently to Russia's state run media outlet Tass.
Trump on Peace Talks
Former President Donald Trump has recently stated that peace talks should begin right now as the ongoing war heads into its third year. He has boasted that he could end the conflict in 24 hours if elected again and indicated the war would not have commenced during his administration. Trump has been said to have spoken by phone with Putin earlier this month, the first direct communication between a sitting American president and Putin in almost three years. The two leaders have shown a willingness to cooperate on a diplomatic level to achieve an agreement.
Challenges to Ukraine's Demands
In spite of these diplomatic efforts, the Trump administration has been lukewarm towards Ukraine's major demands, such as security guarantees and the restoration of occupied territories. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ruled out the restoration of Ukraine's pre 2014 borders as "unrealistic" and cautioned that such attempts would extend the war. Additionally, both Trump and Hegseth have rejected Ukraine’s bid to join NATO, stating that it is not a "realistic outcome" in any ceasefire agreement. While NATO has long expressed support for Ukraine’s eventual membership, opposition from Russia has complicated the process, leaving Ukraine’s path to the alliance uncertain.
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