US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, along with a number of senior officials from both sides, held a four-and-a-half-hour dialogue in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on February 18 (local time). This is the first time senior US and Russian officials have met to discuss ways to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict as the conflict approaches its third anniversary (February 24, 2022 - February 24, 2025).
Agree to pursue 3 goals
In an interview with the AP after the talks in Riyadh, Secretary of State Rubio said the two sides had agreed to pursue three goals: restoring staff at their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow, establishing a high-level group to support peace talks on Ukraine and seeking closer ties and economic cooperation.
Trump 'hears Ukraine is upset', likely to meet Putin in February
However, Mr. Rubio stressed that the meeting in Riyadh only marked the beginning of the negotiations and that the two sides needed to do more.
Also after the meeting, Mr. Rubio emphasized that only US President Donald Trump can bring the conflict in Ukraine to an end, according to CNN. He added that President Trump wants the war in Ukraine to end "in a way that is fair, lasting, sustainable and acceptable" to all parties involved, and that US and Russian officials have agreed on this goal.
Foreign Minister Lavrov (left) and Foreign Minister Rubio in Riyadh on February 18.
President Trump said on February 18 that he was more confident after the US-Russia talks in Riyadh and that he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the end of the month, according to Reuters. However, he dismissed Ukraine's concerns about being excluded from the talks in Riyadh, saying Kyiv should have participated in the talks earlier. "I think I have the strength to end this war," Trump stressed.
For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the dialogue with the US in Riyadh was useful and that both delegations had worked “quite successfully” to improve relations, according to RT. Lavrov affirmed that there was a “mutual desire” to find a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. On the other hand, Lavrov reiterated that Kyiv’s accession to NATO would be a direct threat to Russia, and that Moscow would not accept the possibility of NATO or its member states deploying troops to Ukraine.
What is the choice for Ukraine?
As US-Russia talks in Riyadh took place without Ukraine, Kyiv said that negotiations on how to end the conflict with Russia should not take place behind Ukraine's back. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on February 18 that he had postponed a visit to Saudi Arabia scheduled for February 18 until next month. Reuters, citing several sources familiar with the matter, said Zelensky made the decision to avoid acknowledging the talks in Riyadh.
Russia toughens talks with US as Ukraine excluded from dialogue
After the event, mentioning the concerns of Ukraine as well as Europe, Secretary of State Rubio affirmed that no party involved should be left out of the negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict and any solution must be acceptable to all parties. Mr. Rubio added that he believed that Russia was "ready to start engaging in a serious process" but that achieving peace would require concessions from all sides.
Meanwhile, Evelyn Farkas, a former senior Pentagon official, said Ukraine would ultimately vote on whether to accept the deal negotiated between Washington and Moscow, and could reject a bad deal. "In the worst case, Ukraine will continue to fight. If their defenses collapse, I don't think the American people want to see that on television and be held accountable," Farkas said.
Conflict continues
The Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down 106 of the 167 drones and two missiles launched by Russia into Ukraine on the night of February 18 and early morning of February 19, according to Reuters. The Ukrainian Air Force also confirmed that 56 other UAVs failed to reach their targets, but did not say what happened to the remaining five.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on February 19 that its air defense forces had intercepted nine Ukrainian UAVs in three Russian provinces, including Bryansk, Tatarstan, Tula, and in the Black Sea on the evening of February 18, according to TASS news agency.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ket-qua-tuc-thi-tu-doi-thoai-my-nga-ve-ukraine-185250219224018082.htm
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