U.S. and Russian officials hold talks in Saudi Arabia on Ukraine war without Ukrainian representatives

Senior officials from Russia and the U.S. met in Saudi Arabia on February 18, 2025, to discuss improving relations and negotiating an end to the Ukraine war. This meeting did not include Ukrainian representatives. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov led the talks at Diriyah Palace in Riyadh. Saudi officials were present at the start but left early. This meeting marks a shift in U.S. policy under President Donald Trump, who recently announced plans to negotiate with Russia regarding the conflict that began in February 2022.