U.S. and Russia Pursue Closer Ties
President Trump sent a high-level delegation to Saudi Arabia to meet with senior Russian officials today and discuss a plan to end the war in Ukraine. After four hours of negotiations — the most extensive in years between the two powers — participants in the meeting suggested that the U.S. and Russia would begin to work more closely together.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio described a three-step plan that both countries had agreed to. First, they would discuss ways to ease embassy restrictions. They would also work on a peace settlement for Ukraine. Finally, Rubio said, the U.S. and Russia would explore new partnerships, both in geopolitics and business.
The plans reflected a significant shift in U.S. strategy. For years, Joe Biden and other Western leaders focused on punishing Russia for starting Europe’s most destructive war in generations. Today’s striking display of bonhomie showed that Trump was eager to work with Russia to end the war — an approach that would most likely fulfill many of the demands of its president, Vladimir Putin.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine reacted angrily to the U.S.-Russia meeting. He insisted that it was important that any peace negotiations did not happen “behind the backs of the key subjects.” Any decisions, he added, “cannot be imposed” on Ukraine.