Russia-US meeting in Riyadh more than an icebreaker

The meeting held in Riyadh on Tuesday has turned out to be more than an icebreaker.

It was already significant as the first high-level meeting between Russia and the US since January 2022, when former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Geneva, a few weeks before the war broke out, but they failed to avert it.

By contrast the outcomes of the Riyadh meeting went beyond expectations. It took place in the offices of Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry and lasted more than four hours. The fact that it was held in the Kingdom showcases the country’s diplomatic credentials and its efforts to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine.

In a statement issued earlier this month, Saudi Arabia recalled that those efforts began at the start of the Ukraine crisis. This was when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called both President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky on March 3, 2022, to offer the Kingdom’s good offices to reach a political solution.

After the Riyadh meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Kingdom was playing an “indispensable role” by bringing the parties together, expressing hope that it would continue this effort.

At the Tuesday meeting, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan facilitated the talks together with National Security Advisor Dr. Musaad Al-Aiban, the seasoned minister who is described as the man for difficult missions.

On the US side there was also a high-powered team led by Rubio, a former senator, on his first trip to Saudi Arabia. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who is also a former lawmaker from Florida, was on the team. Probably the closest to President Donald Trump was his Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, a real estate magnate known for successful dealmaking.

The fact that it was held in the Kingdom showcases the country’s diplomatic credentials and its efforts to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine

Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg

Outside of family, there is no one more trusted by Trump as Witkoff, CNN has reported. He was instrumental in getting the Israel-Hamas deal done even before Trump took office and his remit has now expanded to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Lavrov, the veteran diplomat since the days of the USSR, led the Russian side, together with Kirill Dmitriev, who was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, studied at Harvard Business School, and began his career with stints at Goldman Sachs and McKinsey & Company. He has managed large private equity funds and completed a series of landmark transactions for Russia. He now heads the Russian Direct Investment Fund and is a confidante of Putin.

Following the meeting, Rubio said they agreed on four points. Firstly, to re-establish the “functionality of our respective missions in Washington and in Moscow,” to facilitate progress. Secondly, the appointment of a high-level team to help negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine “in a way that’s enduring and acceptable to all the parties engaged.”

Thirdly, to begin to discuss both the geopolitical and economic cooperation that could result from an end to the conflict in Ukraine. Fourthly, they agreed to remain engaged at the same high level to “make sure that it’s moving along in a productive way,” Rubio said.

Waltz stressed the need for a permanent and quick end to the war, which has “turned into a meat grinder of people on both sides,” revealing that as a “practical reality,” there was going to be some discussion of territory, not ruling out possible concessions. Rubio indicated there would be sanctions relief.

Witkoff described the talks as “positive, upbeat, constructive … solution-based.” He added: “We couldn’t have imagined a better result after this session. It was very, very solid.”

The Riyadh meeting came just a week after Trump spoke to Putin telephonically. And Lavrov said after the talks the sides agreed to fast-track the appointment of new ambassadors and “lifting artificial barriers to the work of the US and Russian embassies and other missions.”

The two sides agreed to set up high-level working groups to begin exploring a negotiated end to the conflict. It was not immediately clear when these teams would first meet, but both said it would be soon.

For the main objective of this effort — ending the war — a high-level team from the two countries will begin to engage with the Russian side on “parameters of what an end to this conflict would look like.”

On the idea of a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, Lavrov said Moscow would not accept any troops from NATO members, stressing that Ukraine’s bid to join the alliance was a major security issue.

Lavrov said: “We explained that the deployment of troops from the countries that are NATO members, even if they are deployed under the EU or national flags, will not change anything and will certainly be unacceptable for us.” But he seemed to imply the possibility of a UN force.

The presence of Witkoff and Dmitriev at the Riyadh talks is indicative of the two sides’ ambition to move from the current crisis to a close economic relationship. Dmitriev told reporters that Russia and the US should develop joint energy and other ventures, including in the Arctic and other regions.

And Rubio said that once the Ukraine conflict was brought to an end, it could open “incredible opportunities” to partner with Russia “on issues that hopefully will be good for the world and also improve our relations in the long term.”

Realistically, there could be difficult hurdles before these ambitious ideas materialize. First, the US needs to persuade Zelensky and its NATO and EU allies of the value of its diplomatic approach to the crisis.

Aware of this need, Rubio said: “There’s going to be engagement and consultation with Ukraine, with our partners in Europe, and others. He did not specify dates but remarked that Trump was “not patient in terms of getting action.

“He drives. He drives hard. He wants to get things done. He’s been wanting to do this, and he’s moving very quickly.”

• Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the GCC assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiation. The views expressed here are personal and do not necessarily represent those of the GCC. X: @abuhamad1