On February 20, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined the factors that largely influence the possibility of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
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| US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of talks in Saudi Arabia on February 18. (Source: Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry) |
Reuters news agency reported that, speaking in an interview with journalist Catherine Herridge broadcast on the X platform, Mr. Rubio revealed that he discussed the possibility of holding this meeting during negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Saudi Arabia on February 18.
According to the US Secretary of State, he made it clear to the Russian side: "No meeting will take place until we know clearly what the content of the meeting is. Normally, such meetings only take place when there are certain results or progress."
The US secretary of state stressed that the timing of the Trump-Putin meeting " will depend largely on whether we can make any progress in ending the conflict in Ukraine."
Assuming that President Trump wants to know whether Russia is serious about ending the conflict in Ukraine, Mr. Rubio noted that if the meeting can take place and become a breakthrough to seal a peace deal, "everyone should celebrate the fact that the owner of the White House is a peacemaker."
In another development, Reuters quoted three informed sources as saying that in recent months, representatives of the US and Russia have met informally in Switzerland to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, with the most recent meeting taking place last week.
One source described the discussions as “Track 2” conversations — a diplomatic term for informal conversations aimed at improving communication and generating ideas, rather than making specific proposals — with some contacts taking place during the transition period following Donald Trump’s election victory on November 5, 2024.
While the attendees have diplomatic and security backgrounds, they are not government officials, and it is unclear whether any were sent by the government, two of the sources said. The sources declined to identify the attendees.
At least some of Mr Trump's advisers were aware of the meetings, one of the sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.
The White House National Security Council, the Ukrainian government and the Russian Foreign Ministry did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on this information.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/yeu-to-quyet-dinh-kha-nang-dien-ra-thuong-dinh-nga-my-ga-khong-lo-truyen-thong-tiet-lo-thong-tin-bat-ngo-ve-moi-lien-he-moscow-washington-305129.html
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