Elections with a Kremlin-backed candidate and tackling “irritants”: Here’s what the U.S. and Russia discussed in Riyadh — without Ukraine

A meeting between Russian and U.S. delegations wrapped up in Riyadh on Tuesday, where the aggressor country and its victim’s erstwhile key supporter worked to align their positions on a potential resolution to the war in Ukraine. No representatives of Ukraine were invited to take part in the discussions.

The Russian delegation was represented by Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, while the U.S. side included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Trump’s Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

The main outcomes were later disclosed by the meeting’s participants, as well as by the White House press pool.

• Ushakov acknowledged that while significant differences remain, the discussions were constructive.
• Both sides agreed to continue efforts to improve bilateral relations. It was decided to establish separate negotiating teams dedicated to Ukraine, and these groups are expected to initiate contact soon.
• U.S. State Department representative Tammy Bruce confirmed that Washington and Moscow had agreed to “establish a consultation mechanism” to address key “irritants” in their bilateral relations.
• The prospect of a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump was also raised, though no date has been set. Ushakov suggested that such a meeting is unlikely to take place in the coming week.
• Waltz stated that Trump aims to move swiftly toward negotiations on a potential peace settlement in Ukraine, with discussions expected to focus on territorial arrangements and security guarantees.
• Lavrov criticized what he described as obstacles imposed by the Biden administration, including the repeated expulsion of diplomats and the seizure of Russian property. He also called on the U.S. to resolve issues related to banking transactions.

According to Rubio, four principles were agreed upon as the outcome of the meeting:

• Restoration of the normal functioning of diplomatic missions in Washington and Moscow, with both sides agreeing to return embassy staffing to normal levels.
• Appointment of a top-tier negotiation group to work on ending the conflict in Ukraine.
• The beginning of discussions on potential geopolitical and economic cooperation after the end of the conflict in Ukraine.
• The continuation of active participation in the negotiation process.

Reuters cited multiple foreign diplomatic sources as saying that pressuring Ukraine to hold new elections could become a key part of the peace agreement. Both the U.S. and Russia believe that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has little chance of re-election, the sources said.

Fox News reported that Trump would be willing to accept a Kremlin-backed candidate as Ukraine’s president. The channel’s correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, citing foreign diplomatic sources, wrote that:

“Putin assesses the probability of electing a puppet president as quite high and is also convinced that any candidate other than the current President of Ukraine will be more flexible and ready for negotiations and concessions. In turn, D. Trump is ready to accept any election result, including the possibility of election of a pro-Russian puppet. D. Trump and V. Putin consider the chances of the current President of Ukraine being re-elected as low.”

Following the meeting with the Russian side, Witkoff stated that the negotiations concluded with a favorable result, which was expected in Washington.

Earlier, The Telegraph, citing a document obtained by its editorial team, reported that Trump had demanded compensation from Ukraine comparable to the reparations imposed on Germany after World War I — specifically, a sum of 500 billion dollars, which far exceeds the White House’s previously stated intention to demand U.S. control over Ukraine’s mineral resources in exchange for American assistance. According to the document, the U.S. would receive 50 percent of Ukraine's revenue from resource extraction and half the value of all new licenses granted to third parties. At the same time, the U.S. would have preferential rights to purchase Ukrainian mineral exports.

A few hours after the talks in Saudi Arabia ended, Trump himself weighed in with comments, accusing Ukraine of being responsible for the war with Russia:

“I think I have the power to end this war, and I think it's going very well. But today I heard [from the Ukrainians], ‘Oh, well we weren't invited.’ Well, you've been there for three years. You should have ended it three years. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”