Moscow (Web Desk): Russia announced that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet with senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Riyadh on Tuesday.
According to international media reports, these talks are aimed at addressing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and working toward the restoration of Russia-US relations.
Rubio arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday, and US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, along with Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, will join him for discussions with the Russian delegation.
This meeting marks one of the first high-level in-person discussions between US and Russian officials in several years, setting the stage for a potential summit between the US and Russian presidents.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Lavrov, along with presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov, would travel to Riyadh to hold talks with their American counterparts.
The main focus will be on reviving the broader scope of US-Russia relations, as well as preparing for potential negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
The meeting also serves as a precursor to a possible encounter between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden.
However, Peskov declined to comment on reports suggesting that Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, might also engage with the US delegation.
He similarly avoided addressing rumors of a face-to-face meeting between Presidents Putin and Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia later this month.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that Rubio, Waltz, and Witkoff will be present for the talks in Riyadh.
These discussions follow a recent phone call between Presidents Trump and Putin, which resulted in a directive to US officials to begin talks aimed at ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Trump, who has long called for an end to the fighting, has been actively pushing for a resolution since taking office.
In addition to the Ukraine discussions, Rubio is also expected to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss US proposals regarding the future of the Gaza Strip.
The proposal, which includes resettling Palestinians in neighboring Arab countries and leading the reconstruction of Gaza, has sparked outrage in the Arab world, particularly among Palestinians who fear being displaced from their homeland.
Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with other Arab states, has rejected the resettlement idea and is working on an alternative proposal.
This could include a Gulf-led reconstruction fund and diplomatic efforts to sideline Hamas. Riyadh has also made it clear that it will not pursue normalization of relations with Israel without a tangible path to a Palestinian state, a stance that counters US efforts to achieve such normalization.
During a recent visit to Israel, Rubio met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reaffirm US support for Israel amid its ongoing regional tensions with Iran.