Geoff Bennett:
And there was more. The U.S. and Russia raised the possibility of lifting the sanctions they have aimed at each other. They also agreed to work toward restoring staffing at their embassies.
But there was one glaring omission. Ukrainian officials were not in the room.
It was a face-to-face not seen in almost three years, U.S. officials led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting with their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine and chart a path toward improving bilateral relations. After more than four hours behind closed doors, the U.S. delegation said it saw hints of progress.
Steve Witkoff, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East: We couldn’t have imagined a better result after this session. It was very, very solid.
Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State: I came away today convinced that they are willing to begin to engage in a serious process.
