Three years after the Russia-Ukraine war started,a solution seems possible as the new US government under Donald Trump has declared its intentions to stop the war. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
Interestingly, Ukraine is not even a part of this conversation, despite Zelenskyy also currently visiting Saudi Arabia. Rubio has arrived with National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Lavrov has travelled with Yuri Ushakov, the Presidential adviser to Putin.
Rubio and Lavrov have already talked over phone, emphasising the need to end the conflict in Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Saudi Arabia ahead of expected talks with Russian officials aimed at ending Moscow’s nearly three-year war in Ukraine. Read more here: https://t.co/sPj5ewWLd7 pic.twitter.com/NKSwsvaE4p
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) February 17, 2025
The US State Department spokesperson’s office stated in a statement, “Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as a follow-up to President Donald Trump’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week.
“The Secretary reaffirmed President Trump’s commitment to finding an end to the conflict in Ukraine. In addition, they discussed the opportunity to potentially work together on a number of other bilateral issues,” the spokesperson added.
The Rubio-Lavrov meet is the precursor to an imminent meeting of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
