{"id":47900,"date":"2025-02-18T16:10:51","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T16:10:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2025\/02\/18\/russia-us-agree-to-work-towards-improving-ties-and-ending-ukraine-war\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:45:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:45:55","slug":"russia-us-agree-to-work-towards-improving-ties-and-ending-ukraine-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2025\/02\/18\/russia-us-agree-to-work-towards-improving-ties-and-ending-ukraine-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia, US agree to work towards improving ties and ending Ukraine war"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">RIYADH, Saudi Arabia \u2014 Russia and the U.S. agreed Tuesday to start working towards ending the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/\" target=\"_blank\">war in Ukraine<\/a> and improving their diplomatic and economic ties, the two countries\u2019 top diplomats said after talks that reflected an extraordinary about-face in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview with The Associated Press, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the two sides agreed broadly to pursue three goals: to restore staffing at their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow, to create a high-level team to support Ukraine peace talks and to explore closer relations and economic cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He stressed, however, that the talks \u2014 which were attended by his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and other senior Russian and U.S. officials \u2014 marked the beginning of a conversation, and more work needs to be done down the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2025\/02\/12\/trump-says-he-and-putin-agreed-to-begin-talks-on-ending-war-in-ukraine\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Trump_42460.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Trump says he and Putin agreed to begin talks on ending war in Ukraine<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">White House officials declined to clarify whether Ukraine would be a party to the U.S. negotiations.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lavrov echoed Rubio&#8217;s remarks and told reporters that \u201cthe conversation was very useful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe not only listened, but also heard each other,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No Ukrainian officials were present at the meeting, which came as the beleaguered country is <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-ukraine-war-pokrovsk-d33999044aea4cf2173cbcf294bd8843\">slowly but steadily losing ground<\/a> against more numerous Russian troops in a grinding war that began nearly three years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country wouldn\u2019t accept any outcome from the talks since Kyiv didn\u2019t take part \u2014 and postponed his own trip to the kingdom scheduled for Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">European allies have also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/global\/europe\/2025\/02\/17\/european-leaders-gather-for-an-emergency-meeting-after-trump-snub\/\" target=\"_blank\">expressed concerns<\/a> they are being sidelined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Improving Russian-US relations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ties between Russia and the U.S. have fallen to their lowest level in decades in recent years \u2014 a rift that has been widening ever since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and only worsened after Moscow&#8217;s full-scale invasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S., along with European nations, imposed a <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/us-russia-ukraine-trump-6501850b84c460824a722a233d46c4e6\" target=\"_blank\">raft of sanctions<\/a> on Russia in an effort to damage its economy. And embassies in Washington and Moscow have been hit hard by expulsions of large numbers of diplomats, as well as other restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rubio said Tuesday that ending the war in Ukraine could \u201cunlock the door\u201d for \u201cincredible opportunities that exist to partner with the Russians geopolitically on issues of common interest and frankly, economically on issues that hopefully will be good for the world and also improve our relations in the long term.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His comments were further evidence of the remarkable U.S. reversal on Russia after years in which Trump\u2019s predecessor, Joe Biden, led international efforts to isolate Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tuesday\u2019s meeting was meant to pave the way for a summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. After the talks wrapped, Putin\u2019s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Russia\u2019s Channel One that no date has been set yet for that summit but that it was \u201cunlikely\u201d to take place next week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Lavrov mentioned the same three goals as Rubio and said that Washington and Moscow agreed to appoint representatives to carry out \u201cregular consultations\u201d on Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI have reason to believe that the American side has started to better understand our position\u201d the Russian foreign minister said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who accompanied Rubio at the talks together with U.S. national security adviser Mike Waltz, said the meeting was \u201cpositive, upbeat, constructive. Everybody was there to get to the right outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The meeting marked the most extensive contact between the two countries since Moscow\u2019s Feb. 24, 2022, invasion. Lavrov and then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/us-russia-ukraine-g20-blinken-lavrov-1af60a2c2918e9c0777b33b3e71bd54b\" target=\"_blank\">talked briefly on the sidelines of a G-20<\/a> meeting in India nearly two years ago, but tensions remained high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Concerns from allies they are being sidelined<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The recent U.S. diplomatic blitz on the war has sent Ukraine and key allies scrambling to ensure a seat at the table amid concerns that Washington and Moscow could press ahead with a deal that won\u2019t be favorable to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kyiv\u2019s absence at Tuesday\u2019s talks has <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/ukraine-russia-war-peace-talks-trump-reaction-a3135cb1dfecc7dbcde663d3bb512e77\" target=\"_blank\">rankled many Ukrainians<\/a>, and France called an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/global\/europe\/2025\/02\/17\/european-leaders-gather-for-an-emergency-meeting-after-trump-snub\/\" target=\"_blank\">emergency meeting<\/a> of European Union countries and the U.K. on Monday to discuss the war. Kyiv\u2019s participation in such talks was a bedrock of U.S. policy under Biden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rubio said Tuesday that ending the conflict would require concessions from all sides and that Europe would play a part \u2014 noting that they have also imposed sanctions on Russia. He said Washington \u201cis not going to predetermine&#8221; would those concessions would be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5500\" height=\"3404\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/APTOPIX_Russia_Ukraine_War_84010.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-109191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/APTOPIX_Russia_Ukraine_War_84010.jpg.jpg 5500w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/APTOPIX_Russia_Ukraine_War_84010.jpg.jpg?resize=300,186 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/APTOPIX_Russia_Ukraine_War_84010.jpg.jpg?resize=768,475 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/APTOPIX_Russia_Ukraine_War_84010.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,634 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/APTOPIX_Russia_Ukraine_War_84010.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,951 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/APTOPIX_Russia_Ukraine_War_84010.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1268 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5500px) 100vw, 5500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, second left, meets with Saudi, U.S. and Russian officials at Diriyah Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. (Evelyn Hockstein\/Pool Photo via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2025\/02\/12\/hegseth-calls-nato-membership-for-ukraine-unrealistic\/\" target=\"_blank\">said last week<\/a> that NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic and suggested Kyiv should abandon hopes of winning all its territory back from Russia \u2014 two <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-trump-putin-ukraine-war-32f3b815693df3485b086e647d2e26f7\" target=\"_blank\">key items on Putin\u2019s wish list<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Waltz said \u201cthe practical reality is that there is going to be some discussion of territory, and there\u2019s going to be a discussion of security guarantees.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said he spoke by phone to Trump and Zelenskyy following Monday&#8217;s European meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine,\u201d Macron wrote on social media platform X. \u201cTo achieve this, Russia must end its aggression, and this must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees for the Ukrainians,\u201d he said and vowed to \u201cwork on this together with all Europeans, Americans, and Ukrainians.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Saudi Arabia&#8217;s role<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The meeting at the Diriyah Palace in the Saudi capital of Riyadh also highlights de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman\u2019s efforts to be a major diplomatic player, burnishing a reputation severely tarnished by the 2018 <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/33223f5934d04756836ca393a805ebea\" target=\"_blank\">killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saudi state media described the talks as happening at the prince\u2019s direction. Like the neighboring United Arab Emirates, the prince has maintained close relations to Russia throughout its war on Ukraine, both through the OPEC+ oil cartel and diplomatically as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saudi Arabia has also helped in prisoner negotiations and hosted Zelenskyy for an Arab League summit in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Zelenskyy postponed his own trip to Saudi Arabia scheduled for this week, suggesting that he wanted to avoid his visit being linked to the talks since Ukrainian officials weren&#8217;t invited. He visit was rescheduled for March 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">War continues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, Russia continued to pummel Ukraine with drones, according to Kyiv&#8217;s military. The Ukrainian air force said Russian troops launched a barrage of 176 drones at Ukraine overnight, most of which were destroyed or disabled by jamming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One Russian drone struck a residential building in Dolynska in the Kirovohrad region, wounding a mother and her two children and prompting an evacuation of 38 apartments, the regional administration reported. Four more residential buildings were damaged by drone debris in the Cherkasy region of Ukraine, according to local officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia. Associated Press writers Baraa Anwer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine wouldn\u2019t accept any outcome from the talks since Kyiv didn\u2019t take part.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":109188,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":46,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,46,11,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[594,3722],"class_list":["post-47900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-europe","category-global","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"MNGUI3SPOJDECWKOGQZFSS2DLF","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2025\/02\/18\/russia-us-agree-to-work-towards-improving-ties-and-ending-ukraine-war\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Russia, US agree to work towards improving ties and ending Ukraine war - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine wouldn\u2019t accept any outcome from the talks since Kyiv didn\u2019t take part.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2025\/02\/18\/russia-us-agree-to-work-towards-improving-ties-and-ending-ukraine-war\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Russia, US agree to work towards improving ties and ending Ukraine war\" \/>\n<meta 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