The United States and Russia have agreed to restore embassy staffing and appoint high-level teams to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The announcement came after diplomatic talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between American and Russian officials. A testament to the Trump administration’s efforts to bring the conflict to a close.
Rubio, along with White House national security adviser Mike Waltz and special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. The aim was to discuss Ukraine and the broader U.S.-Russia relations.
Rubio told reporters that the U.S. will appoint a delegation to work on negotiations aimed at securing an “enduring and acceptable” resolution to the war.
Beyond the peace talks, both sides acknowledged the need to expand their diplomatic missions. Since 2021, U.S. consulates in Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg have been suspended due to critically low staffing, and discussions in Riyadh included steps to reopen these facilities.
“For us to be able to continue to move down this road, we need to have diplomatic facilities that are operating and functioning normally,” Rubio emphasized.
While the discussions signal a possible breakthrough, the absence of Ukrainian representatives has drawn criticism from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who expressed frustration over his country being left out.
Zelenskyy, who was scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, abruptly cut his trip short to return to Kyiv after learning about the talks. He has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will not accept any deal made without its direct involvement.
A key point of discussion was the prospect of holding new elections in Ukraine as part of a broader peace framework.
Multiple diplomatic sources suggest that both the U.S. and Russia see a low chance of Zelenskyy winning re-election, and Russian officials believe a new Ukrainian president could be more willing to negotiate.
While Zelenskyy has dismissed this idea outright, some in Washington see it as a potential path toward ending the war.
The meeting in Riyadh also took place against the backdrop of growing European concerns that the Trump administration is sidelining NATO allies in the peace process.
French President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency meeting of European leaders in Paris, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the U.K. is prepared to deploy troops to Ukraine as part of a long-term security arrangement.
However, European leaders remain divided on committing forces, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk both ruling out sending their own troops.
Despite skepticism from Kyiv, Trump has maintained that he is the best leader to negotiate a settlement that could have prevented the conflict from escalating in the first place.
Speaking at a press conference in Florida, he reiterated that Ukraine has had “a seat at the table for three years” and suggested that a deal could have been reached much earlier under his leadership.
In addition to addressing the war in Ukraine, the discussions in Riyadh also touched on broader U.S.-Russia relations.
Rubio noted that both nations are interested in improving ties once the war is settled. Trump has also floated the idea of trilateral negotiations between the U.S., Russia, and China to reduce global military spending, including nuclear weapons.
With no final agreement reached yet, Tuesday’s meeting was described as laying the groundwork for further talks. Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, stated that the priority is “trust building” rather than hammering out the specifics of a peace deal immediately.