The Saudi Arabian crown prince may not be in the room Tuesday due to the first high-level talks between Russia and the US over Moscow’s war with Ukraine, but Mohammed bin Salman said Event Abrily still won that day to hold a rally that could become a start for the event, something game-changing with a bloody conflict.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, held a meeting at Diliya Palace, where the kingdom unfolded the red carpet.
A historic meeting between US officials and Russian officials on Tuesday marks the first direct high-level consultation between the two powers since the Russian invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago.
Crown Prince Mohammed has now found himself at the heart of the Trump administration’s outreach to Russia. Saudi Arabia has maintained cautious relations through the OPEC+ oil cartels during the war.
The high-level discussion in Riyadh, attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, centers around improving relations with the two countries and finding resolutions for the ongoing war in Ukraine. The absence of Ukrainian officials at the meeting sparked concerns among Kiev and European allies. Ukrainian Voldymi Zelenki argues that the results from Ukraine’s no involvement consultations are unacceptable.
The talks are seen as part of a broader change in President Trump’s foreign policy aimed at restoring US-Russia relations, which have deteriorated since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov focuses on “restoring the full scope of US-Russia relations” and setting the stage for the possibility of peace negotiations in Ukraine He emphasized.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in order to create a high-level team to support Ukraine peace conversation to restore staffing at the respective embassies in Washington and Moscow. He said that two sides have largely agreed to pursue three goals. and explore closer relationships and economic cooperation.
However, he emphasized that the talk attended by Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov marked the beginning of the conversation and needed to do more work in the future.
“It’s a big coup for the Saudi Arabia,” Ali Sihabi, an advisor to the Saudi government, told AFP. “Two superpowers come to Riyadh and resolve their differences. It is very authoritative and confirms the soft power of the kingdom.”
The meeting followed a whirlwind of diplomatic operations, including another emergency summit in Paris on Monday, when European leaders rushed to coordinate their response to Trump’s approach.
In particular, Ukraine was removed from the initial US-Russia talks, raising fears that Washington and Moscow could hit the deal that Kiev and its European allies had to accept.
Timeline of the Russian-Ukraine War
Why is it important?
The whole picture
Trump Putin’s Dynamics
Tuesday’s speech in Riyadh is widely seen as setting the stage for the final summit between Trump and Putin. Long-term skepticism of our involvement in Ukraine, Trump has shown his willingness to negotiate directly with Moscow to end the war.
However, this approach is wary of European leaders and Ukraine. Ukraine fears Trump will make concessions to Putin.
Putin’s demand for a peace agreement remains strong:
Ukraine consistently rejects these conditions and views them as a form of surrender. But as Trump is now seeking a deal, Kiev risks putting pressure on a compromise that he doesn’t want to do.
Europe has been excluded
Eyes to Gaza
Ukraine is not the only diplomatic push for Saudi Arabia. On Friday, we will hold another Arab summit to discuss Trump’s controversial proposal to put Gaza under the US administration and permanently resettle over two million residents.
Trump’s idea was praised as a way to “bring peace in the Middle East” by transforming Gaza into a gorgeous tourism hub.
Saudi Arabia has made it clear that Gaza’s plans must match Palestinian aspirations for a state. However, Riyadh may seek to use his strengthened ties with Washington as leverage to shape the outcomes of the region’s US policy.
“By promoting the goals President Trump stated to end the Ukrainian war, Saudi Arabia is well suited to accumulating goodwill in Washington,” said Hasan Ahasan, a senior fellow at the Burrain Institute for International Strategic Studies. . “This could help the kingdom influence US policies on Gaza and the wider Middle East issues.”
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