Russia, US Will Appoint Teams and Increase Diplomats to Advance Ukraine Talks: Rubio

US Expands Relationship with Russia as Efforts for Peace in Ukraine Continue

February 18, 2025 TruthUSA

Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted that a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict has the potential to improve economic and geopolitical ties between the U.S. and Russia.

The Trump administration began taking initial steps to improve the overall U.S.–Russia relationship on Feb. 18, with President Donald Trump aiming for a peaceful settlement to the ongoing Russia–Ukraine conflict.

After a meeting between U.S. and Russian delegations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the State Department announced various new efforts to mend diplomatic connections with Moscow. This included the establishment of a new consultation mechanism to address issues complicating the U.S.–Russia relationship and to restore their diplomatic missions in each other’s countries.

During the meeting in Riyadh on Feb. 18, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz and special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff joined Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The Russian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and also included Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of the Russia Direct sovereign wealth fund.

Prior to the meeting, Lavrov stated that the discussions would encompass “the entire range of U.S.–Russian relations,” beyond just the Ukraine conflict.

In statements shared with Russia’s state-run TASS news agency, Ushakov mentioned that the Riyadh meeting involved a “very serious conversation on all issues.” Both sides agreed during the meeting to “take into account each other’s interests,” Ushakov added.

Trump has expressed interest in directly meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, Ushakov noted that no date has been set, and a meeting before next week is unlikely.

Addressing the media at the White House on Feb. 13, Trump stated, “At some point, when things settle down, I’m going to meet with China, and I’m going to meet with Russia, in particular those two, and I’m going to say, ‘There’s no reason for us to be spending almost a trillion dollars on the military.'”

The president also indicated that he would propose halving the military budgets of the three countries at the start of any meeting.

According to TASS, Dmitriev mentioned that both sides engaged in respectful communication during the Riyadh talks, yet he cautioned that no significant diplomatic breakthroughs had emerged.

“It is too early to discuss compromises. We can say that the sides began communicating with each other, listening to each other, and initiating dialogue,” he explained.

Renewing Diplomatic Missions

Relations between Washington and Moscow had been tense for years, predating the Russian incursion into Ukraine almost three years ago, with the U.S. swiftly escalating lethal aid to the Ukrainian side in response. As tensions persisted, both nations downsized their diplomatic missions in each other’s countries.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump, seeking his first term in office, expressed a desire to improve relations with Russia.

Although he signaled this interest, Trump began his presidency amidst heightened tensions with the Kremlin.

A Russian flag flies atop the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Seattle on March 26, 2018. (Lindsey Wasson/Reuters) — A Russian flag flies atop the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Seattle on March 26, 2018. Lindsey Wasson/Reuters

In December 2016, following allegations of Russian interference in that year’s U.S. elections, then-President Barack Obama directed 35 Russian diplomats accused of intelligence work to leave the U.S. He also revoked access to facilities in Maryland and New York used by Russian diplomatic staff.

As a response in July 2017, Moscow ordered a U.S. diplomatic mission in Russia to shrink its personnel to match the number of Russian diplomats remaining in America.

In March 2018, Trump closed the Russian Consulate in Seattle and expelled 60 Russian diplomats from the U.S. after allegations of Russian agents using a nerve agent to attack a former Russian spy in the UK. In retaliation, Moscow closed the U.S. Consulate General in St. Petersburg and expelled 60 U.S. diplomats.

Due to “critically low staffing of the United States Mission to Russia,” the U.S. consulates in Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg suspended their regular operations, noting the reason for their reduced activities.

Speaking to the media post the Feb. 18 meeting, Rubio emphasized that rebuilding these diplomatic teams is crucial to mend the relationship.

“To continue progressing in this direction, we need operational and functioning diplomatic facilities,” he remarked.

Rubio also mentioned that a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict could lead to expanded geopolitical and economic collaboration between the U.S. and Russia.

“Certainly, we would need to witness the successful and lasting conclusion of that conflict for such cooperation to be feasible,” he added.

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud receives Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Saudi Foreign Ministry headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 17, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) — Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud receives Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Saudi Foreign Ministry headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 17, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine, Europe Remain Wary

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders are cautious about the progress of interactions between Washington and Moscow.

No Ukrainian delegation participated in the talks in Saudi Arabia.

Zelenskyy had planned to visit Riyadh this week but delayed his trip until March 10. He expressed a desire to avoid any perception of “coincidences” between his visit and the earlier U.S.–Russia discussions.

During a press briefing in Palm Beach, Florida, on Feb. 18, Trump was questioned about Ukraine not being represented at the Riyadh talks.

“Well, they had a seat for three years, and long before that, this could have been resolved very easily,” he responded.

Trump later stated that had he been involved in the negotiations earlier, he could have brokered a deal that prevented Ukraine from losing much of the territory captured by Russian forces, as well as minimizing loss of life and extensive destruction during the conflict.

The Trump administration must balance efforts to improve relations with Russia against concerns from the European community about potential coercion and aggression from Moscow.

French President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency meeting of European leaders in Paris on Feb. 17 amidst worries that Europe might be sidelined in the Russia–Ukraine peace process.

Zelenskyy has sought assurances that any future peace settlement with Russia would be backed by security guarantees from allies and partners.

“There is a shared vision that security guarantees must be reliable and strong,” Zelenskyy’s office stated on Feb. 18. “Any other solution, such as a fragile cease-fire, would be just another deception by Russia and a precondition for a new Russian war against Ukraine or other European countries.”