US and Russian officials held talks in Saudi Arabia on February 18 to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, with a Russian delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meeting a US delegation led by State Secretary Marco Rubio. The talks were described as “not bad” but it was unclear if the two sides’ interests were converging.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that there could be “no thought of” territorial concessions to Ukraine, and that the US and Russia had agreed to consider each other’s interests and develop bilateral relations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned against a hastily negotiated peace deal, emphasizing that Ukraine would not accept a peace deal negotiated without the country’s involvement, and that strong security guarantees are necessary for a lasting peace.