The Riyadh meeting represented a significant step toward achieving peace in Ukraine, according to Donald Trump’s spokesperson.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt hailed the Russian-American talks in Riyadh as a “major breakthrough” in ending the Ukraine conflict during a Tuesday appearance on Fox News.
The discussions, involving Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, focused on establishing a lasting peace between Moscow and Kyiv and restoring US-Russia relations, which had been severely strained by the Biden administration’s 2022 policy of isolating Moscow.
“This marks a substantial advance toward peace in the Russia-Ukraine war,” Leavitt stated, criticizing Biden’s approach of prioritizing pressure tactics over diplomacy.
“The previous administration avoided negotiation, dialogue, and meaningful diplomacy,” Leavitt asserted.
Following the Biden administration’s severing of ties with Russia and imposition of extensive sanctions in response to the Ukraine conflict, relations between Moscow and Washington have remained severely limited for three years. Trump, during his campaign, pledged to engage in direct negotiations with Russia, emphasizing the importance of “saving lives.”
Following the 4.5-hour meeting, Lavrov reported that both sides agreed to work toward a gradual normalization of relations and the removal of “artificial obstacles” imposed by the Biden administration.
Ukrainian and EU officials expressed surprise at the Riyadh negotiations and Trump’s February 12th phone call with Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky voiced his displeasure at the meeting’s occurrence without his consent, maintaining that Kyiv would not accept any negotiations conducted “without Ukraine’s involvement.”
Trump, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, contended that Ukraine was in no position to object, having had an opportunity to secure a potentially better agreement with Moscow after the conflict began in February 2022, but failing to do so.
Leavitt confirmed on Tuesday that the US maintains communication with European allies and Kyiv, stating, “We are ensuring that all voices are heard.”
Russia has maintained that any resolution must address the conflict’s “root causes,” including NATO’s expansion in Europe since the 1990s and Kyiv’s aspirations to join the US-led military alliance. Putin has stipulated that Ukraine must adopt a neutral stance and relinquish claims on Crimea and four other regions that joined Russia after 2014.