nd we begin with the diplomatic talks between us and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting right now with a Russian delegation led by the. re. re. are to tour options for ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but the talks have drawn criticism for not including a Ukrainian official. l. This is first face-first face-to-face meeting between a US Secretary of State and their Russian counterpart since January 202MeanwhileMeanwhile, leaders from across.
Europe met in Paris yesterday to align their position on Ukraine after being excluded from the talks between the United States and hosted by President Emmanuel ident Emmanuel If they they were in attendance were tempered and President before then the then later spoke with with Up rainier Zelenskyky , who posted on social media, media, saying he informed haws discussed at at the meeting EU leader concerns warmed-over today’s talks in Saudi Arabia.
Russian and US officials and Joe, I goes I guess concerned exactly about how these talks are going well, Well yeah ,ah, a lot of concern about how these these talks are going down and, duh, all over again, inch, uh, uh, Yogi would say, going back to the first Trump administration when at some point Angela Merkel just told other European leaders, We’ roust not going to be able to depend on the United States anymore and that’s right now what EU leaders and Zelenskyky are starting bringing in NBC News Chief International.
‘Very difficult talks’: U.S. and Russian officials meeting in Saudi Arabia
correspondent Kier Simmons’s, he’s live from the Saudi Arabia capital, what can you TELUS? us Well ,llJoe,oe, we caught up with Minister Lavrov, the Russian fore minister, here at the Ritz Carlton Hotel a few homage. wastight-lipped.t-Thee delegations are staying here but the meetings are happening in a Saudi Arabian palace near to here convened by the Crown Prince and the Saudi Arabian foreign . is a shot of the delegation sitting opposites other at a table looking fairly sober as certainly they
should do because these are going to be very fault. . T. They’ dermal talks, albeit change; they would take place. The times seta mistimes seem change’s has seemed to change, but they are now underway. The PO steam, hey,would take place; the time seems to change; this is there for to chat. Talkback sass they’ve been happening now for around 2 and 1/2 hours with a 15-minute break. The two sides plan to break even. Woot at tablet.
But is he, uh…e. U.S. officials believthatt, ouch, he is close to President Putin’s daughter. Hue like you like, I mean, President envoys. f you layout like, I mean, President Trump has envoys. He is, if you like, I mean, President Trump has envoys. He is here very clearly talking about wanting sanctions to be lifted by the United States, and there I think you can see an examples ident Trump has envoys. He is, if you like, I mean, President Trump has envoys. He is here very clearly talking about wanting sanctions to be lifted by the United States, and there I think you can see an example of President Putin’s envoys. s. ys. He. He is here very clearly talking about wanting sanctions to be life Mentioned by the United States and there I think you an example of what the Russians are really looking for. They are looking to try to end Russia’s isolation as well as the president saying that he wants to try to end the war in Ukraine as.
Top Russian and US officials meet in Saudi Arabia
You motioned President Len sky is not here;; he is Turkey, saying last night that Ukraine will simply not agree to anythinagreed upended upon at a meeting that Ukraine is notof.ar There There have been reports that he would come here to Saudi Arabia tomorrow. Won’t know whether that is the cases. Certainly here’ll be nook the Europeans here. here. Onioned that meeting in Paris yester day. Iman ,frankly, Europe leaders avers AR disarray, unable to agree again even whether they would be prepared to send troops into Up reinter to,
uh,, sustain any kind of ceasefire if there ionize. I should say the Trump Administration ins is being clear that if you latest ,at they’re going to see how serious the Russians ar. Anand I was going to ask you, K, K, about the. If If there’s any method to what appears to our European allies to be madness excluding the Up raisins from these talks ,,uh, ,have you talked to any U.S. officials or Russian officials that you talked to any U.S. officials or Russian officials that have said this is step one? We’re going to see if broad.
What we could negotiate and then have the Ukrainians brought in or is all this being done on a very ad hoc basis?? Uh,,, I think it’s fair to call it,, a work in progress. Certain lyre are developments, aren’t there?? Um,,, this is historic; its’s extraordinary, honestly. I mean, let’s keep in mind these are the first formal talks between the US, between us and Russian officials, since Russian invasion of Ukraine. I should say that, though, , , President Ukraine and.
US and Russia to explore closer relations after Ukraine
Russia Keith Kellogg gave a briefing last night in which he said that he will be in Ukraine this week for three days and that he intends to go back and talk from the hill in Europe right now, trying nerves in Kyiv and European capitals, saying, of course, Ukraine will be at the table. The question, though, of course, is that exactly the US is negotiating right now with the Russians behind closed doors. You had off defense, Pete Heath, saying in.
that speech to NATO that the potential for Ukraine to be in NATO is not on the table, uh, that even if there is some kind of a security force, it would have to be Europeans and non-Europeans, not the us and it couldn’t be covered under Article 5, which is, of course, the and each other article in the agreement, uh, so that seemed to be giving a lot of ground to the Russians. Just one other point, again, though, a counterpoint to that, I mentioned that the Russians are here clearly arguing that sanctions.
should be lifted The heavy sanctions on Russia are an enormous piece of leverage that the US has and an otherer point before I wrap up to Joe so say,, of course,, these divisions between Europe and the states.. Well, the Europeans have sanctions on Russia too so if you want to relieve sanctions on Russia somewhere down the line, you need the Europeans to help. All right? NBC’s Kier Simmons in Saudi Arabia, thank you so much; I greatly appreciate it.
