United States currently comprehends Russia ‘much better,’ Lavrov claims– DW– 02/18/2025

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed no talks on the future of Ukraine must be held behind the nation’s back, as United States-Russian talks ended in the Saudi funding Riyadh.

Speaking throughout a see to Ankara at a joint interview with Turkish equivalent Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Zelenskyy claimed that talks must be “fair” and must additionally include European nations, consisting of Turkey.

“Ukraine, Europe in a broad sense — and this includes the European Union, Turkey, and the UK — should be involved in conversations and the development of the necessary security guarantees with America regarding the fate of our part of the world,” Zelenskyy claimed.

He additionally claimed he held off a Wednesday check out to Saudi Arabia to March 10. He mentioned the truth that Ukrainian authorities were not welcomed to the Riyadh talks in between Moscow and Washington.

Erdogan on the other hand emphasized that Ukraine’s territorial stability and sovereignty were unassailable for Ankara, providing his nation as an “ideal” location for any kind of upcoming talks.

“Turkey will be an ideal host for the possible talks between Russia, Ukraine and America in the near future,” he claimed, including that United States President Donald Trump’s effort to look for an end to the battle straightened with the Turkish plan considering that the beginning of the problem.

Washington recognized Moscow’s placement “better” complying with Tuesday’s top-level talks in Riyadh, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed.

“The conversation, I believe, was very useful. We did not just listen but heard each other, and I have reason to believe the American side has better understood our position,” claimed Lavrov, that headed the Russian delegation in the initial talks in between both globe powers considering that the 2022 intrusion of Ukraine.

The 2 nations consented to develop a procedure for clearing up the Ukraine problem and to get rid of obstacles for polite goals, Lavrov included.

The Russian leading mediator additionally discussed the problem of NATO growth, which Moscow had actually mentioned as one of its factors for getting intoUkraine He called it a “direct threat” to Russia and emphasized that he interacted to the United States delegates that any kind of NATO soldiers’ implementation to Ukraine, also under various other flags, would certainly be undesirable.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed he was “convinced” that Moscow agreed to take part in a “serious process” to finish the battle, including that Washington gone for a “fair” and “sustainable” remedy.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce claimed in a declaration that the conference was “an important step forward” towards tranquility.

Rubio claimed that European countries would certainly need to be associated with talks at a time the battle, which “extraordinary opportunities existed to partner” with Russia.

We are beginning to obtain responses currently from the United States State Department after a conference in between leading United States and Russian authorities over the battle inUkraine

The United States and Russia settled on Tuesday to deal with concerns influencing their connection and to begin discovering methods to finish Russia’s battle in Ukraine.

The State Department claimed that this initiative is still in the beginning.

“One phone call followed by one meeting is not sufficient to establish enduring peace,” division spokesperson Tammy Bruce claimed after conferences in Saudi Arabia.

Talks in between leading United States and Russian authorities concerning the battle in Ukraine finished after greater than 4 hours.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s international events consultant, Yuri Ushakov, that went to the talks in Saudi Arabia together with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, claimed the talks worked out.

He claimed conversations on battle would certainly proceed with different arrangement groups in the future.

Ushakov discussed that problems were talked about for a conference in between Presidents Donald Trump and Putin, however no day was established.

The talks in Riyadh could improve European safety, Jana Puglierin, a Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), cautioned.

“Washington has begun negotiations with Russia over the heads of Ukraine and the other Europeans, and there are fears that these will not only be about ending the war, but also about the future European security architecture,” she claimed.

Puglierin claimed United States President Donald Trump might make giving ins formerly regarded doubtful, consisting of on United States and NATO soldiers pointed in Eastern Europe and additional NATO enhancement.

“Europe risks standing powerless on the sidelines as the foundations of European security collapse.”

She claimed the major intrusion of Ukraine in February 2025 “destroyed our faith in a collective security order with Russia.”

Puglierin claimed it additionally highlighted concerns of dependancy on Russia and China in crucial locations.

Last week, United States Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a flurry of speeches, examined both Europe’s safety dedications and its basic autonomous concepts.

“February 2025 shows us that the Americans no longer feel responsible for European security – and that their interests are fundamentally different from ours,” Puglierin claimed.

Russia claims Ukraine can not sign up with NATO, and a straightforward rejection to approve the nation right into the army partnership is additionally not nearly enough. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova emphasized that NATO needs to disavow the Bucharest guarantees of 2008.

“It is worth noting that a refusal to accept Kyiv into NATO is not enough,” Zakharova claimed.

At a top in April 2008, NATO proclaimed that Ukraine and Georgia would certainly sign up with the partnership however gave no prepare for their inauguration.

Earlier, Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov claimed Moscow would certainly not quit Ukraine from signing up with the European Union.

“Nobody can dictate to another country, and we do not plan on dictating,” Peskov claimed, “but it is completely different when it comes to security issues and military alliances. Here we have a different approach that is well known.”

The Russian declarations come as top-level United States and Russian authorities are holding talks in Saudi Arabia concerning the battle in Ukraine.

United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed recently that NATO subscription for Ukraine was impractical.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has actually continuously claimed Ukraine would certainly require safety warranties under any kind of tranquility bargain, which might consist of NATO subscription.

Ukraine has actually additionally shared hopes of signing up with the EU, however that is made complex and might take years

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock claimed that the conversation concerning feasible European peacekeeping soldiers in Ukraine is prematurely.

Speaking to public broadcaster ZDF, she resembled Chancellor Olaf Scholz, stating, “no soldiers will be sent into this hot war.”

Direct United States-Russia talks over the battle have actually triggered an argument concerning what safety warranties Europe might supply as component of a down-the-line sell Ukraine.

Baerbock claimed, “peacekeeping is a European task” and stressed that any kind of arrangement pertaining to Ukraine need to include both Ukrainian and European engagement. However, she additionally specified that an argument around sending out peacekeeping pressures to Ukraine after the battle is much also early.

Speaking after a European leaders fulfilling concerning the problem on Monday, Scholz claimed having that discussion now was “completely premature” and “highly inappropriate” while the battle is recurring.

EU principal Ursula von der Leyen informed United States agent Keith Kellogg the EU intends to collaborate with Washington for tranquility in Ukraine, and prepares to do even more to equip Kyiv.

“We want to partner with the US to deliver a just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” von der Leyen composed on social networks after conference Kellogg in Brussels.

She additionally described Europe’s strategies “to scale up defense production and spending, reinforcing both European and Ukrainian military capabilities.”

Von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa organized Kellogg at nearly the exact same time as a conference was happening in Saudi Arabia in between the United States and Russia over the battle inUkraine

During the conference in Brussels, von der Leyen’s workplace claimed she had “reiterated that any resolution must respect Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, backed by strong security guarantees.”

Saudi Arabia has actually gone back to the polite layer, holding innovation United States-Russia talks and an Arab leaders’ top on Gaza.

“It’s a big coup for Saudi. The two superpowers come to Riyadh to settle their disagreements,” claimed Ali Shihabi, an expert to the Saudi federal government. “It’s quite prestigious and affirms the soft power of the kingdom,” he informed the AFP information firm.

In current years, Saudi Arabia has actually placed itself as a neutral celebration in international problems. This adjustment follows the nation came to be separated complying with the murder of reporter Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

The globe’s leading merchant of petroleum preserves close relationships with Russia on power plan while appealing numerous countless bucks in altruistic help toUkraine The nation has actually additionally aided in detainee settlements in between Russia andUkraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was readied to go to the Kingdom today on a different journey set up prior to the United States-Russia talks were introduced.

On Friday, Riyadh will certainly organize an Arab top to talk about Trump’s proposition for a United States requisition of Gaza.

Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign riches fund, informed press reporters in Riyadh that Russia anticipates “progress” in financial talks with the United States in the coming months. He was talking on the sidelines people-Russia talks on the battle in Ukraine.

“We have a series of proposals, which our colleagues are thinking about. And I think that there will, possibly, be progress in the not so distant future, in the next two-three months,” Dmitriev claimed.

Dmitriev, a US-educated previous Goldman Sachs lender, contributed in very early calls with Moscow throughout Trump’s initial term as head of state from 2016-2020.

Moscow is really hoping United States President Donald Trump might raise permissions enforced over the Ukraine offensive.

“It’s very important to understand that US businesses lost around $300 billion from leaving Russia. So there is huge economic toll on many countries from, you know, what’s happening right now,” Dmitriev claimed.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen obtained United States Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, in Brussels.

Kellogg gets on a speedy polite trip that additionally saw him short NATO allies on Monday in advance of a go to to Ukraine on Wednesday.

His conference in Brussels on Tuesday comes a day after European leaders fulfilled for an emergency situation top on Ukraine, complying with United States President Donald Trump’s choice to organize straight talks with Russia without Ukraine or European visibility.

On Monday, Kellogg claimed he really did not assume it was “reasonable and feasible to have everybody sitting at the table.”

He was asked if the United States would certainly supply a safety warranty for any kind of European peacekeepers released in Ukraine, among the needs moving from the European top.

“I’ve been with President Trump, and the policy has always been: You take no options off the table,” he addressed.

Talks in between leading United States and Russian authorities concerning the battle in Ukraine began in Saudi Arabia.

The United States group is led by United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and additionally consists of National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

The Russian delegation is headed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin’s international events advisor Yuri Ushakov.

These are one of the most substantial conversations in between Washington and Moscow considering that Russia released a full-blown intrusion in February 2022.

The conference mirrors a considerable separation from Washington’s placement under the management of President Joe Biden, which prevented public get in touches with due to the fact that he thought Russia was not severe concerning finishing the battle.

Ukraine has actually specified that no tranquility bargain can be made on its part in the talks, to which Kyiv was not welcomed.

New video footage has actually been flowing online, showing up to reveal an Australian recorded by Russian pressures in Ukraine in December.

The video clip relatively reveals Oscar Jenkins, that seems weak and suffering a damaged arm.

It was posted to You Tube greater than a week back, however the day or credibility can not be validated.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed Tuesday it “appears to confirm” Jenkins lives.

He specified that Australia “holds serious concerns for Mr. Jenkins’ welfare” and made it clear to Russia that Jenkins has particular securities under global altruistic regulation.

“We have called for Russia to release Mr. Jenkins so that he can come home to his family.”

French President Emmanuel Macron claimed he talked with United States President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Monday’s conference of European leaders.

Macron emphasized that a tranquility arrangement might just be lasting if Russia finishes its hostility and there are qualified safety warranties for Ukraine.

“We will work on this together with all Europeans, Americans, and Ukrainians. This is the key,” he composed on social networks.

European leaders fulfilled in Paris on Monday for an emergency situation top to talk about a linked approach after Trump all of a sudden required instant talks following his discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin recently.

They showed they were “ready” to supply future safety warranties for Ukraine, “depending on the level of American support.”

They additionally firmly insisted that no bargain over Ukraine ought to be made behind their backs.

The Elysee Palace came to be a situation center for Europe on Monday, with French President Emmanuel Macron hosting heavyweight European leaders as they scrambled to avoid the future of their continent being written without them.

But while Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen insisted the talks were never supposed to yield concrete results, the fact is that Monday’s meeting created more new questions than answers on what Europe will do next.

The Paris leaders’ line-up, that included France, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland and Italy– in addition to leading EU and NATO authorities– appeared not so unified on which safety warranties Europe might supply as component of a down-the-line sell Ukraine.

Read much more: Few solution to United States-Russia puzzle after Paris situation talks