Rubio makes statements after talks with Russia — Details

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to journalists after his talks with Russian representative Sergey Lavrov in Saudi Arabia, and made a statement about the peace talks.

This was reported by News Sky.

Trump is the only leader who can bring peace to Ukraine

Marco Rubio said that the goal of the upcoming negotiations is to secure a peace for Ukraine that is "just, lasting, sustainable, and acceptable" to all parties involved.

Rubio dodged whether economic sanctions against Russia could be lifted as part of a peaceful settlement.

He warned, however, that "concessions have to be made by all sides," adding:"We are not going to define what that will be".

He also dismissed complaints about Ukraine's lack of participation in the talks so far, telling reporters: "In order for the conflict to end, everybody has to agree with it, it has to be acceptable to them".

Rubio said that "the only leader in the world who can make that happen... is President Trump".

According to him, the purpose of today's meeting with Russian representatives was to "establish lines of communication" after a long period of silence between Washington and Moscow.

What is known about the U.S. plans for negotiations with Russia

Rubio said this would include re-establishing diplomatic representation in both cities, including by restoring embassy staffing, and appointing "high-level teams" to negotiate a peace deal.

He added that he is "convinced" that Russia is "willing to start a serious process" to end the war.

Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz confirmed that the date of the meeting between Trump and Vladimir Putin has not yet been agreed upon.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that the two sides agreed to "establish a mechanism for consultations to address irritants" in their relations and take steps to normalize diplomatic relations.

Bruce also said that the United States and Russia agreed to "lay the groundwork for future cooperation on issues of mutual geopolitical interest, as well as the historic economic and investment opportunities that will arise from the successful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine".

As a reminder, the U.S. and Russian delegations met in Saudi Arabia today to discuss the war in Ukraine. The talks lasted 4.5 hours.

The U.S. State Department reported on the agreements reached as a result of the meeting.