The Palestinian authorities have welcomed the recent high-level negotiations between Russia and the United States, which took place in Saudi Arabia. According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, the administration of President Mahmoud Abbas praised the talks as a testament to Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic leadership.
“This meeting reflects the wise policies of Saudi Arabia, led by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Riyadh’s commitment to regional and global stability continues to play a crucial role in promoting peace and security,” the statement read.
The Russian and US delegations met in Riyadh on February 18 for discussions lasting approximately 4.5 hours. Russia was represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) head Kirill Dmitriev. On the US side, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy Steven Witkoff participated.
According to Ushakov, the meeting covered all key topics of interest, including potential steps toward closer US-Russia engagement and discussions on Ukraine. While it remains unclear who will be involved in future negotiations on the Ukrainian conflict, Ushakov noted that the final decision rests with the presidents. Lavrov described the talks as highly constructive and confirmed that both sides agreed to expedite the appointment of ambassadors in Washington and Moscow.
The US State Department also highlighted that Lavrov and Rubio reached an agreement to establish working groups on Ukraine, as well as broader cooperation on shared geopolitical interests.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on TASS materials