US-Russia ties resurrect in Saudi Arabia

Following the talks in Saudi Arabia, Russia and the U.S. proposed a three-stage peace plan for Ukraine. The first stage involves a ceasefire, the second calls for elections in Ukraine, and the parties will sign the peace agreement as part of реу third stage.

Russia and the U.S. have also agreed to establish high-level teams to begin work on resolving the Ukraine conflict, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. Additionally, both sides intend to "lay the foundation for future cooperation on issues of mutual geopolitical interest" and explore "economic and investment opportunities" that will arise after the end of hostilities in Ukraine.

It will be up to Putin to decide the composition of the Russian negotiation team. Team members have not been determined yet, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said. He noted that the delegations presented "their fundamental approaches" to the Ukraine conflict during the talks.

Putin will also have to decide on the timing for the U.S.-Russia contacts regarding Ukraine.

"The president will determine when we receive the names of the American participants," Ushakov said.

The U.S. State Department described the negotiations as an "important step forward" toward ending the Ukraine conflict but emphasized that a single meeting is not enough "to achieve lasting peace."

Bilateral Relations

The U.S. and Russia have agreed to restore their previous embassy staffing levels in Washington and Moscow, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

The delegations also decided to "create a consultation mechanism to address tensions in bilateral relations and take the necessary steps to normalize the work of diplomatic missions" in both countries.

Trump-Putin Summit

A meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump is unlikely to take place next week, as both delegations still have a lot of work ahead, Ushakov said.

"We are ready for it, but it is still too early to discuss a specific date for the two leaders' meeting," he added.

Negotiation Outcomes

Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), described the talks as a "very constructive dialogue" and a positive start to discussions. He noted that there were many common points of interest and a clear effort to understand Russia's position.

"The discussions were very respectful and calm. People got to know each other much better. And from the American side, there was a very important message: two superpowers cannot afford not to communicate, not to understand each other," Dmitriev said.

He also revealed that Moscow presented Washington with several proposals for expanding trade and economic relations, but did not disclose specific details. However, he noted that Russia and the U.S. could potentially collaborate on joint projects in the Arctic.