Mon 17 February 2025:

The Kremlin spokesman announced on Monday that a Russia-US meeting will take place in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Dmitry Peskov stated that the Russian delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential aide on foreign affairs Yury Ushakov.

“Today, on behalf of President (Vladimir) Putin, Foreign Minister Lavrov and Presidential Aide Ushakov are flying to Riyadh. They are expected to meet with their American counterparts on Tuesday, with discussions primarily focused on restoring the full spectrum of Russian-American relations,” Peskov said.

The meeting will focus on the Russia-US bilateral relations, preparations for negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement, and a potential meeting between the leaders of the two countries, Putin and Donald Trump, he also said.

Saudi Arabia was chosen as the venue because it is acceptable to both sides, Peskov noted, adding that discussions on European participation in the Ukrainian settlement talks remain premature.

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Meanwhile, American media reported that the Ukrainian authorities were either not invited or unwilling to take part in the meeting.

Last Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump agreed in a phone talk to organize contacts on the Ukrainian settlement as soon as possible.

Trump made ending the ongoing Moscow-Kyiv war a part of his presidential election campaign.

‘Could be very soon’

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that his expected meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia “could be very soon.”

“It could be very soon. It’ll be soon,” Trump told reporters.

He said Putin wants to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

“I think he wants to stop fighting. I see that. We spoke long and hard,” Trump said.

Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also wants to end the war.

“We’re moving along. We’re trying to get a peace with Russia-Ukraine, and we’re working very hard on it. It’s a war that should have never started,” he stressed.

On Feb. 12, Trump held separate phone calls with Putin and Zelenskyy in a bid to end the Ukraine conflict.

-Source: AA

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