By Abiola Olawale
Russia and the United States have agreed to establish teams to negotiate a path to ending the war in Ukraine.
This decision came after high-level talks between the two nations, marking the first such official meeting since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The agreement involves appointing high-level teams to work on conflict resolution as soon as possible.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who spoke with the press after the meeting, said it was agreed to “appoint respective high-level teams to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible.”
The duo added that the sides had also agreed to “establish a consultation mechanism” to address “irritants” to Russia and America’s relationship, noting the sides would lay the groundwork for future cooperation.
Also, Yuri Ushakov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy aide, confirmed the negotiating teams’ appointment but said it was “difficult” to discuss a date for a potential Trump-Putin meeting.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized his nation’s exclusion from the Riyadh gathering, which lasted for more than four hours.
He asserted that any discussions aimed at concluding the conflict should be conducted in a manner that is “equitable” and should include European nations, notably Turkey, which has expressed willingness to facilitate the negotiations.
