Ukraine war: Russian and US officials meet in Saudi Arabia for peace talks, without Kyiv – Europe live | Ukraine

Russian foreign ministry has just said that talks in Saudi Arabia have now broken for working lunch.

Here they are enjoying the break in talks:

(Turns out the earlier 15-minute pause we reported earlier was something else, probably just a coffee break or something!)

Who is who in the room where it happens in Riyadh

Pjotr Sauer

Russian affairs reporter

US:

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (left)

A New York property developer who has known Donald Trump for decades and is now at the centre of his foreign policy team. Witkoff is credited with pressuring Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a Gaza ceasefire deal.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio (second left)

Once a staunch critic of Donald Trump, Rubio has since become one of his closest allies, making history as the first Latino to serve as the nation’s top diplomat.

The 53-year-old former Florida senator has advocated a hardline stance on China and Iran while opposing additional funding for Ukraine.

US national security adviser Mike Waltz (third left)

A decorated war veteran and three-term congressman from Florida, Michael Waltz was an early and steadfast supporter of Donald Trump during his first presidency.

Known for his hawkish stance on China and Iran, Waltz has also served as an advisor to multiple Republican administrations.

RUSSIA:

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov (right)

A stalwart of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov has served as the country’s foreign minister for over two decades. Throughout his career, he has been a vocal critic of western interference in other nations’ affairs and a staunch opponent of liberal values. However, his actual influence over Putin remains a matter of debate.

Russia’s chief foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov (second right)

The 77-year-old Ushakov has been Putin’s top foreign policy aide for over a decade but has largely remained behind the scenes.

Previously, he served as Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. from 1998 to 2008, gaining valuable experience in negotiations with Washington.

THE HOSTS:

Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Saudi national security adviser Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban (center) joined the start of the meeting but were expected to leave early in the talks.

Russia looking for sanctions relief – analysis

Pjotr Sauer

Russian affairs reporter

In Riyadh, Russia is expected to use discussions on a potential Ukraine settlement as leverage to push for sanctions relief.

Leading Moscow’s economic negotiations is Kirill Dmitriev, the 49-year-old head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and a close friend of Putin’s daughter. A former investment banker, Dmitriev has played a key role in Russia’s outreach to international investors.

Although he was not present during the meetings between Russian officials Sergei Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov and their US counterparts, Dmitriev held separate discussions in Riyadh.

“US oil majors have done very well in Russia,” Dmitriev said in a brief interview on Tuesday morning before the talks began. “We believe that, at some point, they will return – why would they pass up the opportunities Russia has provided for access to its natural resources?,” he asked.

US-Russia talks in Riyadh resume after 15-minute break

Julian Borger

Senior international correspondent

Russian and US delegations in Riyadh have resumed talks after a 15-minute pause, a TASS correspondent reports.

The Vatican has just said that Pope Francis’s plans for this week have been cancelled as he continues to battle with “polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract,” which requires further hospital treatment.

His Jubilee Audience on Saturday got cancelled, and Archbishop Rino Fisichella will cover for him at this Sunday’s mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican.

US-Russia talks in Riyadh break for lunch

Pjotr Sauer

Russian affairs reporter

We are getting a line from Russia that there is now a pause in discussions in Riyadh, as the two sides broke for lunch. It’s just after 1pm there.

We are also told to expect a press conference from Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov after the meeting.

Let me just bring you another passage from UK defence secretary John Healey’s event in London, as he discussed the potential deployment of UK troops to Ukraine.

This is what he said:

We need a security guarantee for Ukraine in Ukraine that is capable of delivering what President Trump has pledged and says he wants, which is a durable peace that requires an end to the Russian attack and no repeat of that in the future.

The European countries have to play a leading part in that guarantee, but require a backstop from the US, because in the end, it is only the US that can provide the deterrence to Putin that will prevent him attacking again.

The detail of that is being developed. Keir Starmer will discuss that with President Trump when they meet shortly.

But the one thing I’m not going to do is discuss details of the work that we’re doing, the discussions we’re having with allies and with the US, because the one thing I don’t want to do is make Putin any wiser.

UK defence secretary John Healey has been speaking at the Institute for Government in London in the last few minutes.

In a broader speech focusing on his plans for reforming armed forces, he warned that “the decisions that we make right now over the coming weeks will not only define the outcome of the conflict in Ukraine, but the security of our world for a generations to come.”

He argued that “the test of leadership, of political leadership, isn’t just about managing the immediate, it’s also about reforming for the future.”

“We are in a new era of threat, and that demands a new era for defence,” he said.

You can follow more from him in our UK live blog here:

As the talks in Riyadh continue behind the closed doors, we have been getting some lines from the Kremlin, via Reuters and AFP.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Putin would be ready to talk to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy “if necessary,” but appeared to question his legitimacy.

“Putin himself said that he would be ready to negotiate with Zelensky if necessary but the legal basis of agreements needs discussion considering the reality that Zelensky’s legitimacy can be questioned,” he told reporters.

He also said that the issue of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union was its sovereign right and that Russia did not intend to dictate to Kyiv how it should approach the question – but it would draw a line when it comes to military alliances.

“We are talking about integration and economic integration processes. And here, of course, no one can dictate anything to any country, and we are not going to do that,” Peskov said.

But on Nato, he said: “There is a completely different position, of course, on security-related issues related to defence or military alliances.”

In comments that are likely to cause further alarm in central and eastern Europe, Peskov also said that “a lasting and long-term viable resolution is impossible without a comprehensive consideration of security issues on the continent.”

He also added that the talks in Riyadh might provide more clarity on a possible meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, but there is no understanding on this question yet.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told US envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellog that the European Union wants to “work alongside the US to end the bloodshed and help secure the just and lasting peace that Ukraine and its people rightfully deserve,” according to a readout released by her office.

Von der Leyen also presented Kellogg with “Europe’s plans to scale up defence production and spending, reinforcing both European and Ukrainian military capabilities.”

“Reaffirming the EU’s commitment to a just and lasting peace, the President reiterated that any resolution must respect Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, backed by strong security guarantees,” the note said.

“As the President made it clear: now is a critical moment,” it added.

European Commission vice-president Teresa Ribera told Reuters that US president Donald Trump has upended the “trustful relationship” between the United States and Europe, and that Brussels should focus on providing the predictability and stability that is lacking in Washington.

“We need to stick to our strengths and principles,” she said in an interview in London on Monday, criticising Trump’s transactional approach to politics.

“We need to be flexible but we cannot transact on human rights nor are we going to transact on the unity of Europe, and we are not going to transact on democracy and values,” she argued.

In unusually direct comments, Ribera also criticised the US policymaking, saying she does “not see any predictability, stability or affordability in these announcements, this is a little bit shocking.”

The Spanish politician, who is in charge of EU’s digital playbook rules in the Digital Services Act, also said that – despite repeated criticism from the US administration – she would issue two decisions on US Big Tech companies, Apple and Meta, “next month.”

“There will be decisions along the lines that have been discussed with the companies, developed and based on evidence,” she said.

Speaking of France’s Emmanuel Macron, we didn’t hear from him last night, but he posted a social media update after the talks.

“After bringing together several European leaders, I have just spoken with President @realDonaldTrump and then with President @ZelenskyyUa,” he said.

He asserted that European partners “seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine,” as “Russia must end its aggression, and this must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees for the Ukrainians.”

Repeating similar warnings from other leaders, he said that “otherwise, there is a risk that this ceasefire will end up like the Minsk agreements.”

“We will work on this together with all Europeans, Americans, and Ukrainians. This is the key.

We are convinced that Europeans must invest better, more, and together in their security and defense—both for today and for the future.

To this end, Europeans want to accelerate the implementation of their own agenda for sovereignty, security, and competitiveness. Work will continue based on the European Commission’s proposals, both in supporting Ukraine and in developing and investing in our defense. This agenda, defined in 2022 at the Versailles Summit, must simply be carried out.

Decisions, actions, coherence. Quickly.

I will continue these discussions in the coming days.

Ukrainian deputy prime minister Olha Stefanishyna is in Warsaw this morning attending a General Affairs Council of the European Union, and she briefly spoke with reporters before the meeting.

Stefanishyna was also asked about potential security guarantees for Ukraine and deployment of European troops as part of a peacekeeping force, and her thoughts on the Paris summit last night.

She noted that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had “a long phone call” with the host, French president Emmanuel Macron, and said the question of guarantees and deployment remained under “active discussion”.

“We are closely following the developments on the US side, but I am sure that the European Union, while … hesitant on many issues, will be strong enough to help Ukraine prevail,” she said.

She also stressed that Ukraine was “not in a process of negotiating a deal,” while acknowledging the “processes” put in place by the new US administration.

She also said that Ukraine “has not rejected” the proposed US deal on critical minerals, which remain under discussion. “We expect that it will be signed,” she said.

Stefanishyna was part of the Ukrainian delegation at the Munich Security Conference, taking part in a bilateral meeting with US vice-president JD Vance alongside president Zelenskyy.

And almost in parallel, US Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg arrives at the Berlaymont in Brussels for his talks with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

Later today, he will also meet with European Council president António Costa before travelling to Poland to meet with Polish president Andrzej Duda.

… and we are now getting first pictures from inside the room where it happens as the US-Russia talks get under way in Riyadh.