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//Trump-Putin Summit Not Imminent as U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Wrap Up in Riyadh//

The two delegations' bilateral talks lasted about 4.5 hours.

Negotiations between the United States and Russia concluded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, with officials from both sides agreeing that further work is needed before a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin can take place.

The high-stakes discussions, led by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, lasted approximately 4.5 hours. According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the talks were productive and covered all major issues the two sides sought to address.

Constructive Talks, But No Immediate Summit

"There was a very serious conversation on all the issues we wanted to raise," Ushakov told reporters after the meeting, as reported by Russian state media RIA Novosti. However, he emphasized that an official meeting between Putin and Trump is unlikely to happen in the immediate future, as "intensive work" is required to lay the groundwork.

One of the central topics of discussion was Ukraine, where Russia has been engaged in a full-scale war for three years. While the conflict was a major focus of the talks, Kyiv was notably absent from the negotiations—a point that has drawn criticism from Ukrainian officials.

U.S. Pushes for Peace Talks, Ukraine Expresses Concern

The U.S. State Department described the meeting as "an important step forward." Lavrov and Rubio reportedly agreed to establish high-level negotiation teams aimed at finding a settlement to the war in Ukraine. The goal, according to U.S. officials, is to create a peace agreement that is "enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all sides."

“The United States wants to stop the killing and is using its strength in the world to bring countries together,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said following the talks.

Despite Washington’s optimism, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed skepticism. He reiterated that any peace negotiations that exclude Ukraine will be ineffective.

“Russia has imposed ultimatums in the past and invaded our country when we rejected them,” Zelenskyy stated during a visit to Turkey. “Now, I sense a similar attitude, where Russia and the U.S. are talking about Ukraine without Ukraine. That will bring no result.”

Addressing U.S.-Russia Tensions Beyond Ukraine

In addition to discussing Ukraine, the two sides agreed to set up a consultation mechanism to address ongoing tensions in their diplomatic relations. This mechanism is intended to help normalize the functioning of U.S. and Russian diplomatic missions and open the door for future cooperation on economic and geopolitical issues.

Following the bilateral meeting, Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, confirmed that separate discussions took place between U.S. and Russian officials regarding potential economic collaboration. However, details of those talks remain undisclosed.

Ongoing Tensions and Uncertainty

As the U.S. and Russia wrapped up their negotiations, tensions remained high in Ukraine. Shortly after the talks ended, Kyiv was placed under an air raid alert, with local authorities warning of incoming Russian missile strikes.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy continued his diplomatic efforts, meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and inaugurating the renovated Ukrainian Embassy in Ankara. His message was clear: Ukraine will not accept any settlement that undermines its sovereignty.

“Since we didn’t accept Russian ultimatums in the darkest days of the war, why would we accept them now?” Zelenskyy questioned.

While the meeting in Riyadh marked a rare diplomatic engagement between Washington and Moscow, the path to a potential Trump-Putin summit remains uncertain. With significant differences still to be addressed, both sides appear committed to continued dialogue—but whether those talks will lead to meaningful progress remains to be seen.