U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a second round of ceasefire negotiations between American and Russian delegations, set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 25. The announcement was made via the public service network C-SPAN, following the initial round of talks held in the same location last week.
After the first meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that both sides had agreed on three key objectives: restoring diplomatic staff in their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow, forming a high-level team to support peace negotiations in Ukraine, and fostering closer economic cooperation. However, he emphasized that the discussions were just the beginning and that more work was needed.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the meeting as “very useful.”
Zelensky and European Allies Express Concerns
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the negotiations, stating that he would not accept any decisions made without Ukrainian participation. European allies also voiced concerns over being sidelined in the discussions.
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov confirmed that preparations are underway for a potential Trump-Putin summit, signaling a shift in Moscow’s international standing. Ryabkov noted that the meeting, if held, would cover broad global issues beyond the Ukraine war. However, he cautioned that planning is still in its early stages and would require “intensive preparatory work.”
The first round of negotiations led to increased European support for Zelensky, with allies wary of Trump’s approach toward Moscow. While Trump recently softened his previous remarks blaming Kyiv for the war, he reiterated in a Fox News interview that Zelensky and former U.S. President Joe Biden should have done more to prevent Russia’s invasion.
