Russia and the U.S. set to meet again in two weeks
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced an upcoming meeting between Russia and the United States within the next two weeks.
In an interview with RIA Novosti, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that the meeting will be conducted at the level of heads of respective departments.
Ryabkov highlighted a mutual agreement to hold comprehensive consultations aimed at systematically and thoroughly addressing a range of contentious issues. "We need to identify who on the American side will serve as our dialogue partner at this level. We have confirmed to the Americans our readiness to initiate this work as soon as possible," Ryabkov stated.
Additionally, it is anticipated that prior to the deputy-level talks, there will be a consultative engagement among directors of pertinent departments. Their meeting could potentially occur within the next two weeks.
The Russian and American sides are currently coordinating the specific location for this meeting, which will be held in a third country. "We have conveyed elements of our approach to these issues in Riyadh. The Americans are currently reviewing them," Ryabkov explained.
On February 18, discussions took place in Riyadh between U.S. and Russian representatives. The dialogue resulted in an agreement to resume the operation of diplomatic missions in Washington and Moscow, as well as the creation of a working group dedicated to ending the conflict in Ukraine.
According to Fox News, the Russia-U.S. peace plan involves three stages: initiating a ceasefire, conducting elections in Ukraine, and then signing a final agreement. In light of the negotiations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky canceled his visit to Saudi Arabia.
U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, stated that Ukraine will not be forced into a peace agreement. He noted that the U.S. will serve as a mediator in Ukraine-Russia negotiations, whereas Europe will not physically participate in these talks. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump remarked that there is "no necessity" for Ukraine's president to be involved in the talks aimed at ceasing the war with Russia.