US and Russia Reach Agreement on Embassy Staffing and Formation of Ukraine Peace Negotiation Team | World News
Officials from the US and Russia have reached an agreement to reinstate embassy staffing and create a high-level team aimed at negotiating peace in Ukraine—indicative of a notable shift in American diplomatic relations with Moscow.
Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, emphasized that both nations “need to have vibrant diplomatic missions that are able to function normally.” Additionally, the US and Russia discussed the possibility of enhanced relations and economic collaboration during their meeting.
“If this conflict reaches an acceptable conclusion, there will be tremendous opportunities for geopolitical partnership with Russia on common interests and, honestly, economic matters that could benefit the world and also improve our long-term relationship,” Mr. Rubio stated.
He noted that resolving Russia’s war in Ukraine would necessitate compromises from all involved parties.
Follow live: Lavrov tells US that NATO troops in Ukraine is ‘unacceptable’
These remarks emerged following discussions between Russian and US officials in Saudi Arabia, marking a remarkable turnaround in US policy after years of President Joe Biden’s efforts to isolate Moscow internationally.
No date has yet been established for a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump; Mr. Putin’s foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov indicated it was “unlikely” to occur next week.
After the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the discussions as “very useful.”
“We not only listened but also understood each other,” Mr. Lavrov asserted.
“I have reason to believe that the American side has begun to better comprehend our stance, which we have reiterated with specific examples, based on President Putin’s numerous speeches.”
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce mentioned that despite Ukraine not being present at the table on Tuesday, any future peace negotiations would certainly involve the country.
Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated that Ukraine would reject any outcome from this week’s discussions if Kyiv was not involved. No Ukrainian officials attended the meeting.
Ukraine losing ground to Russia
The discussions coincided with Ukraine gradually losing ground to the numerically superior Russian forces in a protracted conflict that has persisted for nearly three years.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian troops unleashed a wave of 176 drones at Ukraine overnight, most of which were intercepted or neutralized by jamming techniques.
👉 Listen to Sky News Daily on your podcast app 👈
One Russian drone hit a residential building in Dolynska, located in the Kirovohrad region, injuring a mother and her two children and leading to the evacuation of 38 apartments, according to regional authorities.
Furthermore, four additional residential buildings were damaged by drone debris in the Cherkasy region of Ukraine, as reported by local officials.
European allies left scrambling
US-Russia relations have plummeted to their lowest point in decades, a decline that accelerated after Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and worsened following Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Expansion of NATO a ‘direct threat’ to Russia
Read more from Sky News:
Starmer wants US ‘backstop’ to deter Russia
Who is attending Russia and US peace talks?
In retaliation, the US and European allies imposed punitive sanctions on Russia, continuously ramping up measures to weaken the Russian economy.
However, the recent surge in US diplomacy related to the war has prompted Mr. Zelenskyy and key European allies to scramble for inclusion at the negotiating table, amid fears that Washington and Moscow may pursue an agreement that would not favor Ukraine.
On Monday, France convened an emergency meeting with EU member states and the UK to deliberate on the war.
Saudi Arabia seeks to be diplomatic player
The recent meeting between US and Russian officials in Riyadh, at the Diriyah Palace, underscores Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s aspirations to emerge as a significant diplomatic figure, particularly following the damage to his reputation from the 2018 Khashoggi incident.
State media in Saudi Arabia reported that the talks were conducted under the prince’s guidance. Additionally, Saudi Arabia has played a role in prisoner negotiations and hosted Mr. Zelenskyy at an Arab League summit in 2023.
Mr. Zelenskyy had planned to visit Saudi Arabia this week but postponed it until March 10, likely to prevent his trip from being associated with the US-Russia discussions due to the absence of Ukrainian officials.
