Russia and the United States are thawing their frozen relations in the scorching temperatures of Saudi Arabia. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting with Moscow's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Despite the fact that Ukraine will be discussed extensively, Kiev officials did not have a reserved seat at the table. The American side has emphasized that today's meeting is not about starting peace negotiations, but to test whether Russia is serious about ending the war in Ukraine.
Moscow says it prioritizes "normalizing relations with the US."
At the start of the meeting, members of both delegations remained silent, not responding to media inquiries for comment. The US envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, was seen taking some notes.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked by reporters whether Washington would side with Ukraine and what concessions would be required of Russia.
But the top American diplomat did not respond. International media reports that during the closed-door conversation, the parties will be completely alone.
The Saudi organizers stayed in the room only to make the welcoming statement and then left, leaving the "chess players" of geopolitics, Marco Rubio and Sergey Lavrov, face to face.
It is unclear whether the parties can agree on anything, despite Ukraine confirming that it will not accept anything negotiated for it without its officials at the table. (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
