Russia High-Level Dialogue

Following talks lasting over four and a half hours, both sides announced they would establish negotiating teams to end the hostilities in Ukraine and organize a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Donald Trump.

Russian and American officials exchange views on the sidelines of the dialogue.

RIA News Agency quoted Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, as saying that high-level talks between US and Russian officials in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18th, aimed at ending hostilities in Ukraine, were "positive".

Mr. Dmitriev was a member of the Russian delegation attending the dialogue. The US delegation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, while the Russian delegation included Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin's aide Yury Ushakov.

Mr. Ushakov said the four-and-a-half-hour dialogue concluded successfully. Accordingly, the two sides discussed the terms for a future meeting between President Putin and US President Donald Trump.

According to Ushakov, there is no specific date for the summit, but it is unlikely to take place next week. He said that Russian and American negotiators from different groups will begin contact on the Ukraine issue at the appropriate time. The decision to contact the US on the Ukraine issue will rest with President Putin, he added.

Regarding that summit, he said that "the delegations of the two countries need to work together closely." "We are ready for this, but it is still difficult to say a specific date for the meeting between the two leaders," Ushakov was quoted as saying by AP.

Following the talks, the US State Department issued a statement saying that the two sides would form groups to "negotiate to end the conflict in Ukraine."

Accordingly, the US and Russia agreed to address "problematic issues" in their bilateral relationship and begin developing a roadmap to end hostilities in Ukraine, while noting that this effort is still in its early stages.

"A phone call followed by a meeting is not enough to establish lasting peace," Reuters said U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.

Also on February 18, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that resolving the conflict in Ukraine would require a readjustment of European defense agreements.

Moscow has long called for NATO to withdraw its troops from Eastern Europe, viewing the alliance as an existential threat on its flank. "A viable and lasting solution is impossible without a comprehensive consideration of the security issues on this continent," Peskov was quoted as saying by AFP.

Responding to a question about the possibility of Ukraine joining the European Union (EU), Peskov said that "this is the sovereign right of any country."

At a press conference on February 18, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Ukraine's accession to NATO would be "unacceptable" to Russia.

"This poses a serious threat to our security and will have catastrophic consequences for the whole of Europe," said Zakharova. The spokeswoman stated that "refusing to accept Kyiv into NATO right now is not enough," implying that Moscow may want a longer-term guarantee that Ukraine will not be allowed to join the military alliance in the future.

In related developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, the Turkish presidential office said. The Turkish presidential office had previously stated that the two sides would meet to "further strengthen cooperation" between the two countries.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-thoai-cap-cao-nga-my-dien-ra-tich-cuc-va-ket-thuc-tot-dep-185250218195424539.htm