US, Russia agree to appoint negotiating teams for further consultations on Ukraine

RIYADH -- Talks between Russian and US delegations led by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, respectively, concluded in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday after more than four hours of discussions.

Yuri Ushakov, the Kremlin's foreign affairs adviser, described the Riyadh talks as "positive."

"It was a serious conversation on all issues," including preparations for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Ushakov said, noting the two sides agreed to consider each other's interests.

According to a statement by the US Department of State, both sides agreed to appoint high-level negotiating teams to work towards a settlement to the conflict in Ukraine "as soon as possible in a way that is enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all sides,"

They also agreed to establish a consultation mechanism to address irritants to the bilateral relationship to finally normalize the operation of the two countries' respective diplomatic missions, and to lay the groundwork for "future cooperation" between the two sides, said the US statement.

In a press conference following the meeting, Lavrov described the discussions as "very useful," noting Russia and the United States will hold regular consultations on Ukraine after both sides appoint negotiating teams.

He also highlighted Russia's firm stance on NATO's involvement, stating that the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine is unacceptable for Russia.

Both sides thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the meeting, which came ahead of anticipated peace talks aimed at resolving the Ukraine crisis.

Ukrainian officials were not part of the talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that Kiev will not accept the results of the negotiations that do not involve Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Zelensky said during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara that the Russia-US talks were "a surprise" to Kiev, which it "found out through the media."

Any peace talks for Ukraine "should not take place behind our backs", and should include "Europe in a broad sense", which includes the EU, Türkiye, and Britain, he said.

Zelensky also said that he had canceled his visit to Saudi Arabia due on Wednesday.