High-ranking US and Russian officials have met in Saudi Arabia for their most extensive negotiations in three years, agreeing to continue efforts to end the Ukraine war and explore deeper cooperation. The talks raised concerns in Kyiv and across Europe, especially as some fear that former President Donald Trump could push for a settlement that favors Vladimir Putin.

Following nearly five hours of discussions at Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two sides had agreed to form a high-level team dedicated to supporting Ukraine peace talks and exploring potential “economic and investment opportunities” that could arise from the successful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.

The meeting signals a significant shift in Washington’s stance on Russia, moving away from the Biden administration’s policy of isolating Moscow. Rubio stated that any resolution to the conflict must be acceptable to all parties involved, including Ukraine, Europe, and Russia. He also noted that European allies had been consulted about the talks, but no Ukrainian or European officials were present at the meeting.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Putin’s chief foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, were seen sitting across from Rubio during the talks. Rubio was accompanied by US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East.

Shortly after the meeting, Ushakov indicated that the two sides had agreed to continue discussions about Ukraine and briefly touched on the potential for a summit between Putin and Trump, though he acknowledged that such a summit was unlikely to take place next week.

The meeting in Riyadh emphasized the fast-moving nature of US efforts to end the conflict, sparking concern in Ukraine and across Europe, where leaders worry they may be excluded from the negotiations. Ushakov stated that the talks “went well” and described them as a “serious conversation on all issues.”

Ukrainian officials were not invited to the talks, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made it clear that Ukraine would not accept any agreements reached without Kyiv's involvement. In a meeting with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not surrender any of its territory to Russia. "Diplomacy does not mean surrendering the interests and sovereignty of our state," he emphasized.

The discussions in Riyadh marked the first high-level attempt to negotiate an end to Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine since early in the war, when talks broke down due to Russia’s demands.

Despite the diplomatic activity, little is known about Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine or Russia’s willingness to engage. Tuesday’s meeting provided few new details.

Both sides issued carefully worded statements when the talks concluded. Rubio described the meeting as “the first step of a long and difficult journey,” emphasizing the importance of reaching a solution that all parties find acceptable. Waltz echoed that sentiment, stating, “This needs to be a permanent end to the war, not a temporary solution like in the past.”

Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, noted that while both sides have started to listen to each other, it is still too early to discuss any potential compromises.

Before the talks, Russian officials had indicated they would pursue “normalization” with the US and lay the groundwork for a peace deal in Ukraine. However, even before the meeting began, the US had made several concessions to Putin, signaling that Ukraine would need to abandon its NATO ambitions and accept territorial losses.

US officials also proposed sending a peacekeeping mission to Ukraine once a ceasefire is in place, prompting EU officials to meet on Monday to discuss the possibility. However, Moscow has repeatedly rejected this idea. Lavrov insisted that the presence of NATO member troops in Ukraine, even under a different flag, would be unacceptable.

Before departing for Saudi Arabia, Lavrov stated that Russia had no intention of making territorial concessions to Ukraine during the peace talks.

Putin has not publicly commented on the Saudi talks, but during a recent phone call with Trump, he indicated that Russia wants to “settle the reasons for the conflict.” Some observers believe this suggests that Russia’s demands may extend beyond Ukraine and include broader changes to European security. These demands may mirror those issued before Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2021, including a neutral status for Ukraine and a halt to NATO’s deployment of weapons to countries that joined after 1997. This would impact much of Eastern Europe, including Poland and the Baltic states.

Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, later issued what appeared to be new conditions for peace, including demands for the annulment of the 2008 Bucharest summit declaration, which promised Ukraine eventual NATO membership.

Putin has also previously insisted that Ukraine drastically reduce its military forces, a move that many in Ukraine fear could leave it vulnerable to future Russian attacks.

At the talks in Riyadh, Russia was also expected to use discussions on a potential Ukraine settlement to push for the lifting of Western sanctions, which have significantly impacted its economy.

Leading Russia’s economic negotiations was Dmitriev, a close associate of Putin’s, who suggested that US oil companies could eventually return to Russia. "US oil majors have done very well in Russia," he said in a brief interview, noting that they would likely take advantage of the opportunities Russia offers for access to its natural resources.

The Riyadh talks also presented an opportunity for Saudi Arabia and its de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to assert themselves on the global stage. Once seen as a pariah by Biden due to the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi leader has now become a key mediator in discussions between Russia and the US.

This latest US diplomatic push has left Kyiv and its allies scrambling to ensure they are involved in the negotiations, fearing that Washington and Moscow could reach a deal that excludes their interests. In response, France convened an emergency meeting with EU nations and the UK on Monday to coordinate a response.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced after the meeting that he had spoken with both Trump and Zelenskyy, stressing that "Russia must end its aggression" and that this must be accompanied by “strong and credible security guarantees for Ukraine."

However, the security talks in Paris yielded no concrete measures, as European leaders struggled to present a united front, particularly regarding the deployment of troops to Ukraine.