BREAKING: US, Russia Hold Peace Talks In Saudi Arabia

On Tuesday, top diplomats from the United States (US) and Russia met in Saudi Arabia for peace talks on resetting their fractured relationship.

New Telegraph reports that this is the first such discussion since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

At Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, the talks began without visible handshakes, and no statements were made as both sides downplayed expectations of a breakthrough in this first high-level meeting between the countries since President Donald Trump took office on January 20, 2025.

However, the very fact the encounter is taking place has triggered concern in Ukraine and Europe following the United States’ recent overtures toward the Kremlin.

The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sat across from Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, with US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff by his side.

Lavrov was accompanied by senior Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and National Security Adviser Musaad bin Mohammad al-Aiban also attended.

Preparations for a possible summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are also expected to be on the agenda.

Trump is pushing for a swift resolution to the three-year conflict in Ukraine, while Russia sees his outreach as a chance to win concessions.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was not invited to the discussions.

The European leaders met in Paris on Monday for emergency talks on how to respond to the radical pivot by the new Trump administration.