New Round of U.S.-Russia Talks Next Week
Moscow announced on Sunday that a meeting with U.S. diplomats will take place at the “end of next week,” following the Russian-American talks hosted by Saudi Arabia on February 18, which came after a phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.
The White House reaffirmed President Trump’s ability to end the war in Ukraine, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his willingness to step down in exchange for “guarantees” that his country would be admitted into NATO. This development comes on the eve of the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine and amid a shift in the American president’s stance, which has become increasingly hostile toward Kyiv.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated on Sunday, as reported by the official TASS news agency: “We are open to contacts with the United States, particularly regarding the contentious issues in our bilateral relations. We expect real progress in the meeting scheduled for the end of next week.” He explained that the meeting would take place “at the level of department heads” from both countries’ foreign ministries, signaling an acceleration of dialogue between the two sides.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed satisfaction when asked about the shift in the U.S. position and Trump’s harsh criticism of Zelensky. Meanwhile, Moscow and Washington continue to prepare for a summit between the American and Russian presidents and are negotiating Ukraine’s future. Peskov stated, “The dialogue took place between two truly remarkable presidents. It is promising. It is important that nothing obstructs the implementation of their political will.” He also noted that Trump’s sharp criticism of Zelensky was “completely understandable,” following Zelensky’s accusation that Trump was living in a “Russian misinformation bubble” after the former U.S. president blamed Kyiv for the war with Russia, which began on February 24, 2022.
