A Putin-Trump summit is anticipated to follow talks aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict.
According to CNN, citing a Saudi official, Saudi Arabia will mediate upcoming talks between Russia and the US regarding the Ukraine conflict, starting in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Maintaining neutrality throughout the conflict, Saudi Arabia has engaged in discussions with leaders from Russia, the US, and Ukraine. Moscow and Washington previously announced an upcoming face-to-face meeting between Presidents Putin and Trump in the Saudi capital, following earlier announcements of such a meeting. A Ukrainian official informed CNN that Kyiv would not participate in these talks.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy advisor, Yury Ushakov, will travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet with Trump’s team to lay the groundwork for the leaders’ meeting.
Reportedly, the US delegation will include Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
This follows a 90-minute phone call last week between Putin and Trump focused on resolving the Ukraine conflict.
These Riyadh talks mark the first high-level, in-person discussions between Russian and US officials in years.
Peskov explained that Saudi Arabia was chosen as the venue because it “suits both the American and Russian sides.”
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have increasingly acted as mediators in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, facilitating prisoner exchanges and hosting diplomatic discussions, demonstrating their commitment to a peaceful resolution.
Both Trump and Putin have strong ties with Saudi and UAE leaders. Trump’s first call after taking office was to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Last month, in a Davos address, Trump referred to the crown prince as “a fantastic guy.”
Last September, Putin thanked bin Salman for facilitating the largest US-Russian prisoner exchange since the Cold War, stating, “We are grateful to him, because this resulted in the return of our citizens to their homeland.”
Last week, Witkoff described bin Salman’s role in securing the release of Marc Fogel, a former US Embassy employee and teacher serving a 14-year sentence in Russia on drug charges, as “instrumental.”
Commenting on the Riyadh trip, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Monday that the Russian team aims to evaluate President Trump’s proposals for resolving the Ukraine conflict.
Moscow has emphasized its pursuit of a lasting resolution, not a temporary ceasefire, demanding Ukrainian commitment to neutrality, denazification, demilitarization, and recognition of current territorial realities.