[Discussion] US-Russia Talks in Saudi Arabia: Ukraine Crisis Brewing Amid Tensions

[Uncrowned Guard]

US-Russia High-Level Talks Spotlight Ukraine Crisis

On February 18, top officials from the US and Russia convened in Saudi Arabia to deliberate on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This marked the first substantive interaction between the two nations since Russia's full-fledged invasion of the conflicted region.

Representing Washington was a delegation headed by State Secretary Marco Rubio, while his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov led his nation's delegation. High-level officials of both nations were present at this pivotal meeting held in Riyadh's Diriyah Palace.

Post-meeting remarks from the Russian side painted a mixed picture of the talks, only deeming them as "not bad" and providing little clarity on possible points of agreement between the two nations.

Intensive Diplomatic Engagements Amid Ukrain's Absence

Following the US-Russia bilateral, another diplomatic dialogue involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to occur later this week in Saudi Arabia. Despite being the nation at the center of these discussions, neither Ukraine nor Europe was invited to the main round of talks, triggering unease in Kyiv and other European capitals.

Zelensky stressed in an interview with the German network ARD that any peace agreement should involve Ukraine directly. He categorically rejected the notion of Ukraine accepting a peace deal that they played no part in negotiating.

Amid the ongoing diplomatic efforts, Russia refuses to consider any territorial concessions to Ukraine. Notably, Russia controversially annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014 and took over Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts in 2022.

Post-Talks Violence and Disinformation Accusations

Following the US-Russia talks, the region of central Ukraine was troubled by a large-scale Russian drone attack. The attack damaged a residential block in the city of Dolynska, injuring a mother and her two children and sparking a rapid evacuation of inhabitants.

In the ensuing counteroffensive, Ukraine claims to have shot down 103 of the 176 drones deployed by Russia, with 67 falling before reaching their targets due to electronic countermeasures.

Amid these international discussions and military clashes, US President Donald Trump added more fuel to the fire by suggesting that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy should hold another election due to his supposedly low approval rating. Zelenskyy swiftly rebutted this claim and labeled it as Russian "disinformation," affirming his significant support among voters and his legitimate position as the Ukrainian President.

As the war wages on, Ukraine finds itself negotiating the challenging terrain of military conflict, diplomatic discourse, and complex geopolitical interests.

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