Representatives of Russia and the United States are planning a second meeting within the next two weeks, RIA state news agency reports.
The Russian news agency’s report cites Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, saying there was “principled agreement” on both sides to hold consultations to work out “the entire block of so-called irritants.”
“Today we are facing two parallel but of course, to some extent, politically interconnected tracks: one is Ukrainian affairs, the other is bilateral,” Ryabkov said.
“A dialogue on strategic stability and arms control is possible when we see visible shifts for the better in American policy,” he added. He also said the U.S. and Russia could also discuss the Middle East.
The meeting will take place in a third country and the specific location is being agreed upon, Ryabkov told RIA in an interview, without revealing who would attend from the Russian or American sides.
Moscow and Washington held their first talks on ending the three-year war in Ukraine on Tuesday, February 18 in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyad. The meeting aimed at restoring relations and prepare to conclude the conflict. The Kremlin said the initial meeting was focused mostly on Russian-U.S. bilateral relations, which were a “very, very important step” towards reaching a settlement on the war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin has also said that a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump is possible this month. Both men have expressed the desire to meet.
US policy under Trump on Russia and Ukraine
At the same time, the United States has proposed a draft UN resolution that stops far-short of a competing European-backed statement, demanding an immediate withdrawal of all of Moscow’s forces from Ukraine.
Both are timed to the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which falls on Monday, February 24.
Under Trump, Washington’s policy on Ukraine is showing signs of significant divergence from that of the EU or UK. Putin no doubt sees his determination not to be cowed by western pressure as starting now to lead to longer-term success.
Now the two leaders have agreed to meet – a complete reversal of the three years of increasing isolation during Joe Biden’s presidency. And, as we know, the first time the two leaders met for a summit, in Helsinki in 2018, Putin was widely seen as having outwitted Trump. As Trump’s then senior director for European and Russian Affairs, Fiona Hill, recalled in her memoir: “As Trump responded that he believed Putin over his own intelligence analysts, I wanted to end the whole thing.”
Putin will hardly feel he enters any future negotiation as an underdog. Just by being there, to discuss the most pressing matter for the future of European security with the US president, Putin has achieved part of his long-term goal. Just as in the days of the Soviet Union, leaders from the Kremlin and the White House will meet to discuss European affairs as the preeminent powers on the continent.