Negotiations between the delegations of Russia and the United States took place in Saudi Arabia: the Russian representative spoke of "progress" and mentioned the Arctic. Video

A meeting between representatives of Russia and the United States took place in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The talks were attended by delegations from both countries and Saudi officials.

The talks lasted about five hours. According to the Russian delegation, the parties agreed to cooperate. Both Moscow and Washington are allegedly interested in bilateral relations.

"The talks between Russia and the United States went well. Russia and the United States agreed to promote bilateral relations, and both Moscow and Washington are interested in this," said presidential aide for foreign affairs Yuri Ushakov.

According to him, a meeting between the Russian and US presidents is unlikely to take place next week.

The US Department of State reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed at talks in Riyadh to create a consultation mechanism to eliminate "irritants" in relations between Russia and the United States.

They also agreed to set up negotiating groups to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

According to Russian media, citing the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev, the parties discussed the possibility of resuming cooperation in various economic areas, including future economic cooperation, including world energy prices

Dmitriev also said that the US sanctions policy failed to deter Russia, but rather contributed to its economic independence.

At the same time, the United States is allegedly now ready to listen to Russia's position, and Joe Biden's team "did not seek to understand their concerns." According to the head of the RFPI, the previous US president's policy undermined confidence in the dollar, and sanctions helped Russia become more independent.

He also added that the dialogue with the new US administration allows us to tell the truth – the policy of containing Russia has failed. Many American companies have lost their positions in the Russian market and their future approaches.

Dmitriev noted that Washington is now demonstrating its readiness for dialogue, in particular on sanctions, although the negotiation process is only at the initial stage.

"Progress in the negotiations between Russia and the United States is possible in the next 2-3 months," Dmitriev said.

He also emphasized the need for joint projects, particularly in the Arctic, which "will make the economies of Russia and the United States more successful."

The Russian representative added that American oil companies will return to Russia at some point.

"Why should they miss the opportunity to access Russia's natural resources, which Russia has given them?" he said.

The Russian and US delegations did not discuss Nord Stream in Riyadh.

RosSIA reports that the meeting in Riyadh is expected to focus primarily on the restoration of Russian-American relations. In addition, the issue of the war in Ukraine will be raised during the talks.

Before the talks, Lavrov met with the King of Saudi Arabia. The visit was attended by Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov and head of the Russian Foreign Policy Institute Kirill Dmitriev.

Lavrov and Ushakov represent Russia at the talks in Saudi Arabia.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the American delegation included Marco Rubio, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Trump's special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. The latter stated that the topic of the meeting would be the end of Russia's war against Ukraine.

Instead, the US State Department issued a statement regarding the meeting with the Russian delegation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They assured that it would not be a negotiation on the war in Ukraine.

The media reported that the events in Saudi Arabia were meant to be a preparatory stage before the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, as well as another step toward allegedly improving relations between the two countries.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!