It was obvious from the slow descent of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stepping down the stairs from his aircraft, watching his shoes until they hit the ground in Riyadh, that the US side in Tuesday’s talks lacked a confident mandate from the White House for negotiations with the Russians.
Rubio was there – inexperienced and nervous, as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov exposed over the four and a half hours of their meeting – to arrange a grandstand display by President Donald Trump at the summit meeting he wants with President Vladimir Putin. No more, no less. Rubio ended up with less. To the uncomprehending Trump, speaking at his own press conference in Florida fifteen hours later, Rubio and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz are unable to explain.
Before leaving Moscow for Riyadh, Lavrov pointed out to Tass “that the meeting had been initiated by Washington and Russian officials would like to hear what US officials had to say. According to Lavrov, the Russian and US negotiating teams will brief their respective presidents on the outcome of the Riyahd meeting, and Putin and Trump will decide on further steps.”
Lavrov meant that the Americans were coming to the meeting with no agenda except for what Trump and Putin had said during their telephone call of February 12, and no agreement among the Americans themselves on what to say to the Russians behind closed doors.
“We didn’t just listen”, Lavrov said in briefing the Russian press after the meeting, “but we also heard each other…This does not necessarily mean a convergence of positions.” The official transcript of Lavrov’s brief press conference has been published by the Foreign Ministry here.
Russian Foreign Ministry publication: https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1998294/
Foreign Minister Lavrov is rarely as grim-faced in public as this. The
last time was his briefing of the Russian press in Doha on December 7,
when he was attempting to explain the advance of Turkish-led forces
against the Damascus government of Bashar al-Assad. Click to watch: https://mid.ru/
For analysis, click.
In the US press conference at the same time, Rubio announced “President Trump has shifted the entire global conversation from not if the war is going to end but just how it’s going to end. And only President Trump can do that… The first is the only leader in the world who can make this happen, who can even bring people together to begin to talk about it in a serious way, is President Trump. He’s the only one in the world who can do that right now.”
The three points of agreement which Lavrov and Rubio read from notes are technical preliminaries. These are aimed, Lavrov said, “to put an end once and for all to end these inconveniences that really complicate the development of everyday normal relations.”
The points agreed are the appointment of ambassadors in Washington and Moscow; removal of restrictions the US has imposed on Russian diplomatic operations in the US, including at the United Nations in New York; and the expansion of the bilateral agenda for talks to come. These were undertakings to continue talking – there was no agreement on more because the US side came unprepared for more.
Rubio had acknowledged as much several days earlier. “If in fact there is going to be an opportunity here to pursue peace by engaging with the Russians,” he told CBS, “we’re going to need to have functional embassies in Moscow and in Washington, D.C., and that’s certainly something foreign ministers would talk about as a matter of normal course…nothing’s been finalized yet. I was scheduled to be in Saudi Arabia anyways. We announced that trip a week ago, a week and a half ago.”
In briefing another US media network after the talks in Riyadh, Rubio repeated there had been no negotiation, no agreement on the war. “We’re not going to pre-negotiate it,” Rubio said, “nor an end to this conflict. These are the kinds of things that have to happen through hard and difficult diplomacy in closed rooms over a period of time.”
Lavrov was equally cautious. “Do you consider today’s negotiations successful?” he was asked. “I think they are positive.” He meant that the US has accepted a process for negotiations. It has agreed nothing – not even a date for the summit meeting Trump wants for himself.
“QUESTION: Did you set a date for the two presidents to meet at this meeting? When can we expect that meeting? NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR WALTZ: We did not. We did not set that date. But the two presidents talked about meeting and expect to meet.”
Lavrov said more — Trump would not be getting his grandstand soon with Putin.
Instead, Lavrov said, “the foreign ministers, the national security advisors were tasked with meeting and seeing what needs to be done before the presidents can begin to negotiate a specific date and date for the summit.” The key term Lavrov emphasized for Trump’s men was “before” – перед тем — that’s process before PR.
Asked by a British reporter to comment on how the talks in Riyadh had
gone, and if he was more or less confident, Trump said: “Well, much
more confident. They were very good. Russia wants to do something. They
want to stop the savage barbarianism”. He then repeated campaign
slogans, avoiding the reports of the Riyadh talks as if he didn’t
remember them. Later, asked if he would remove US forces from Europe,
Trump said: “Nobody has asked me to do that so I don’t think we’d have
to do that. I wouldn’t want to do that. That question has never really
come up.” Trump appeared not to know that last week his Defense
Secretary, Peter Hegseth, had warned of US troop withdrawals and
explicitly ruled out US troop participation in a Ukrainian peacekeeping
settlement. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsknETdEBFg
Video Link
In Riyadh, Lavrov also revealed a split on the US side. He told Russian reporters that he had asked Rubio and Waltz what end-of-war settlement plan Trump’s emissary on Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, had been discussing in Munich last week with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, according to Sikorsi’s public disclosure and the video record. “I asked US Secretary of State Rubio and Waltz what it means. They said it was a fake.”
Sikorski and Kellogg discussing end-of-war terms at the Munich Security Conference on February 16. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThySuZC5mFw
Video Link
Lavrov was explicit on two end-of-war terms which are being widely discussed in public.
On the identification of peacekeeping forces which may be deployed in a demilitarized (Russian term) or disengagement (European Union term) zone in the Ukraine, Lavrov said “the appearance of troops of armed forces from the same NATO countries, but under a foreign flag, under the flag of the European Union, or under national flags in this regard does not change anything. This is unacceptable to us.”
At the table — Lavrov revealed to the Russian press — the US had asked for a stop to the Russian electric war campaign and a “sort of a moratorium probably to be imposed against attacks against objects of energy infrastructure.” Lavrov said he replied: “We said we had never jeopardized and attacked civilian energy infrastructure.We only attacked objects that served the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the military assets of Ukraine.”
Lavrov is confirming the restriction which the Kremlin has imposed on the General Staff in the electric war targeting of energy production plants and the electricity distribution grid in the west of the Ukraine. The campaign began in October 2022; it reached a peak in November last. But Putin imposed his restriction on the military operation days later, after back-channel communications began between Putin and Trump. For details of the electric war campaign, read this.
A military source on the electric war campaign comments: “[Lavrov’s statement] is an admission that the other side [US] is concerned about the impact of electric war. Consequently, it’s also an admission that had the electric war been accelerated without the brakes on, the larger war could’ve been over sooner, and Russian losses could have been lower.”
Source: https://www.youtube.com/
Left side for the US: Secretary of State Rubio in centre, with National
Security Advisor Michael Waltz on his left, Steven Witkoff on his
right. Right side for Russia: Presidential assistant Yury Ushakov,
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The Saudis chairing the meeting at the
head of the table were Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud
(left) and National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban. Speaking to CNN
from Israel, Rubio had said in anticipation of the talks with Lavrov:
“I know of no better negotiator in American politics than Trump. I think
President Trump will know very quickly whether this is a real thing or
whether this is an effort to buy time.”
Note that Witkoff was sitting at the bottom of the table on the US side but his counterpart, Kirill Dmitriev, was absent. There was no place at the table, no chair for him on the Russian side.
Dmitriev, chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), has been appointed by Putin to represent Russia’s business lobby in the US negotiations. For more details, click to read.
In the Telegram messaging of Maria Zakharova, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, Dmitriev can be seen arriving at the anteroom of the conference hall with Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yury Ushakov. Dmitriev ranked after these two in precedence in the anteroom, but once through the door of the conference hall, he disappeared. Lavrov had relegated him to speaking when the delegations broke for luncheon.
In the anteroom of the conference hall, Dmitriev can be seen arriving behind Lavrov and Ushakov, ranking third officially and walking behind the other two as they enter the hall, where Dmitriev then “disappeared”.
Dmitriev did, however, advertise his presence in Riyadh, speaking at greater length to the press than Lavrov or Ushakov. Dmitriev told Reuters: “”We really see that President Trump and his team is a team of problem solvers, people who have already addressed a number of big challenges very swiftly, very efficiently and very successfully.”
Dmitriev told Tass: “We cannot disclose details. Everything I can say that we have a very important track on the economy. And, clearly, there is a political issue. I am not dealing with political issues but with investment and economic issues. We have a number of proposals our colleagues are thinking of. I believe progress may be achieved there not in the long run but during the next two-three months.”
“I will be responsible for the economic aspect of the discussions,” Dmitriev told Interfax. “ ‘The figure that we are voicing for the first time now is that American business has lost more than $300 billion by leaving the Russian market,’ he said, apparently referring to the impact of sanctions imposed on Russia under former President Biden. ‘Finding joint economic paths, positive solutions to issues, is extremely important, mainly for the U.S. and for many other countries that are beginning to understand that the Russian market is extremely attractive and that it is necessary to be present in it,’ he said, adding that he hoped for ‘a positive dialogue.’”
The New York Times reported Dmitriev as telling its reporter before the talks began. “U.S. oil majors have had very successful business in Russia. We believe at some point they will be coming back, because why would they forgo these opportunities that Russia gave them to have access to Russian natural resources?”
Dmitriev speaking to the New York Times in Riyadh. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/world/europe/us-russia-saudi-ukraine.html
A full Russian report of Dmitriev’s remarks from the sidelines can be read here. “The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev expressed confidence that within the framework of the negotiation process of Russia and the United States, an atmosphere of dialogue has already been formed. Speaking to the press on the sidelines before the start of negotiations between the delegations of Russia and the United States in Saudi Arabia, Dmitriev pointed out that good relations between Moscow and Washington are very important for the whole world. Only together Russia and the United States will be able to respond to many world problems, resolve global conflicts and offer solutions…Dmitriev stressed that the Biden administration did not pay due attention to Russia’s concerns. ‘What we see for the while, it is very early that the American side is ready to listen to the position of Russia, is ready to understand the position of Russia,’ said the head of the RDIF. ‘And with that this is where the dialogue begins.’” In his opinion, the atmosphere of the beginning of the dialogue has already been formed. ‘And this atmosphere is to hear each other’s fears, to understand each other,” the head of RDIF stressed, adding that the parties are still at the beginning of the dialogue. I think it is very important to just start a dialogue and say: colleagues, sanctions hit American companies more than they hit Russia.’ The head of the RDIF stressed that in the framework of contacts with Washington there is both a political track and an economic one. ‘I do not deal with political issues, but on investment and economic issues, we have a number of proposals that our colleagues are thinking about.’ Dmitriev believes that progress is possible on them ‘no longer in the long term, but in the next two to three months.’ The head of the RDIF expressed confidence that Moscow and Washington need to ‘make joint projects’, including in the Arctic, which ‘will allow the economies of the two countries to be more successful.’”
Lavrov downplayed Dmitriev’s role. According to Lavrov, “the discussion of the economic aspects of our meeting was attended by the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund K.A.Dmitriev. He presented some problems that could be resolved quickly with benefit both for Russia and the United States.” Dmitriev’s presentation occurred during the lunch break.
Exactly how Dmitriev’s role will continue is undecided. At the US side’s press briefing, Witkoff was present with Rubio and Waltz. “Will you be traveling to Russia again, Mr. Witkoff?”, he was asked. “I’m not sure”, Witkoff replied. “But we’ll make that determination in the next couple of weeks.” This was the only public statement Witkoff made during the Riyadh talks.
New York Times photograph of the US press briefing with (left to right), Witkoff, Rubio, and Waltz.
Rubio, who was more talkative in Israel enroute to Saudi Arabia, did not agree to a joint press conference with Lavrov.
Instead, his handlers arranged a press release announcing the Riyadh meeting as “a follow up” to Trump’s telephone call with Putin. “President Trump wants to stop the killing,” the release said, “the United States wants peace and is using its strength in the world to bring countries together. President Trump is the only leader in the world who can get Ukraine and Russia to agree to that.” The three points agreed were “a consultation mechanism”, “high-level teams to begin working”, and “groundwork for future cooperation on matters of mutual geopolitical interest and historic economic and investment opportunities”. The official release calls these points a “pledge to remain engaged to make sure the process moves forward in a timely and productive manner.”
Rubio then telephoned the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, and the UK, together with the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs, to reassure them on what had not been agreed with the Russians. The text of the release reveals the political precedence Rubio gives to the Europeans ahead of the UK and the EU.
National Security Advisor Waltz also had nothing to say on the official record; his office issued no press release. Waltz has crippled the bureaucratic functioning of the National Security Council (NSC) in Washington by firing several dozen junior officials. Waltz reportedly told a Guardian reporter in Riyadh: “If you’re going to bring both sides together, you have to talk to both sides. And we’ll continue to remind everyone, literally, within minutes of president Trump hanging up with President Putin, he called [and] spoke with president Zelensky. [The US] will continue to push back on this notion that our allies haven’t been consulted: they’re being and they are being literally almost on a daily basis, and we’ll continue to do so.”
Rubio acknowledged that the Novichok operation which the UK Government began in March 2028 with backing from Trump at the time, is now a problem to be discussed with Prime Minister Keir Starmer shortly.
“QUESTION:…if
you get the status back to an operational – the normal operational
level – staffs at the embassies – that you consider the Skripal case or
the Crimea annexation to be closed or no longer issues? Because I think
– you mentioned Kier Starmer is going to be in Washington next week. I
can imagine that the Brits won’t be particularly pleased by that.
SECRETARY RUBIO: Yeah, again, I’m not
– yeah, I’m not going to negotiate or talk through every element of the
disruptions that exists – or have existed in our diplomatic relations
and the mechanics of it. Suffice to say that President Trump has
pledged and intends to keep his promise to do everything he can to bring
an end to this conflict. We cannot do that unless we have at least
some normalcy in the way our diplomatic missions operate in Moscow and
in Washington, D.C. And so, we need to work to improve that, and we’re
going to work with them to see what’s possible within that context.”