A CONCLUSION to the gruelling three-year war in Ukraine is edging closer after today’s historic peace talks between Russia and the US.
Moscow said the conversations “went well” as Washington labelled the crucial meeting “useful” – with both parties already reaching a number of landmark deals.
EPAUS, Russian and Saudi representatives speaking at Riyadh’s Diriyah Palace over peace talks earlier today[/caption]
AFPUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shake hands[/caption]
GettyThe talks are hoping to help bring an end to the gruelling three-year war in Ukraine[/caption]
Earlier today, a team of top diplomats from Russia and the US spoke about negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine out in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The talks – which were quickly drawn up – represent the rapidly growing ties between the two nations under Donald Trump‘s new leadership.
Present at the negotiating table was US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz all sit down in Riyadh’s Diriyah Palace.
They were joined by outspoken Putin cronies Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushako.
Notably missing was any representative from Ukraine.
All we know from day one of the peace talks
No new details on when Putin and Trump will meet
Full embassy staffing agreed
Both sides agree to create “high level teams”
Vlad will speak to Zelensky “if necessary”
Russia won’t allow Ukraine to join Nato
Kremlin wants to end Western sanctions
Zelensky postpones Saudi trip as he blasts unfair meeting
The meeting lasted for almost five hours with Moscow and Washington being joined by Saudi representatives who helped monitor the talks.
Following the peace chats, which mark the first time Russia and US delegates have met in person since the war broke out, both sides said they were hugely beneficial.
Close Putin aide, Yuri Ushakov, said the talks “went well” as he also revealed negotiators have been agreed to talk about the war in Ukraine from either side, IFAX reported.
Russia‘s lead negotiator told reporters after the talks: “It was a very serious conversation on all the questions we wanted to touch upon.”
Secretary of State Rubio said the meeting showed him that the Kremlin is finally “willing to begin to engage in a serious process”.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce later said the two sides have agreed to appoint “respective high-level teams to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible”.
They added that all talks will be done “in a way that is enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all sides”.
Trump’s Middle East envoy Witkoff even described the meeting as positive, upbeat and constructive.
Rubio stressed that despite the initial chats being positive, it was just the first of many chats which need to take place in the coming weeks and months.
He added that everyone involved in the war “has to be okay with it” ending with both sides needing to make concessions to make a deal work.
One of the key stumbling blocks which could dampen the negotiations would be from Ukraine’s side.
They were notably excluded from Riyadh today in a move which left both President Zelensky and his European allies annoyed and frustrated.
Brave Zelensky was in Turkey as the US-Russia talks went ahead without him with the comedian turned top politician heavily criticising the talks.
He said any negotiations “should not take place behind our backs” as he reiterated a peace deal will only be agreed if it is fair for all those involved – not just Putin.
Zelensky even announced he has postponed his official visit to the Saudi Arabia until March 10 – despite him initially being scheduled to arrive tomorrow.
The move has been done in order to not give any “legitimacy” to the US-Russia meeting, two sources told Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was excluded from the talks in Saudi and has vocally criticised them sinceGetty
APThe talks are hoping to help bring an end to the gruelling three-year war in Ukraine[/caption]
AlamyUS Secretary Marco Rubio described the talks today as ‘useful’[/caption]
One of the main differences in opinion Kyiv has compared to their counterparts in Moscow is over Ukraine’s Nato membership.
Zelensky has long been campaigning with European leaders to grant Kyiv a spot in the organisation as it would give them protection over Putin’s army in case of any future invasion.
Putin and the Kremlin say this cannot ever be allowed to happen with blocking Ukraine from joining Nato being of the highest priority.
Without promises that Zelensky will never be able to enter the group – headed up by the US and European stalwarts – Putin is unlikely to accept any terms.
Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who was at the meeting, again made Russia’s stance clear on the matter.
He said after the first peace talk: “We’ve told the US that deployment of Nato troops in Ukraine, even under other flags, is unacceptable for Russia.”
Before adding that expanding the alliance to include their neighbours will be seen as a “direct threat to Russia”.
US OR BUST
By Jerome Starkey, Defence Editor
ONLY US might can deter Vladimir Putin, Defence Secretary John Healey said today.
Britain and Europe must play their part – but have no hope on their own.
Speaking after Keir Starmer demanded a “US backstop” to guarantee Ukraine’s security, he said: “In the end it is only the US that can provide the deterrence to Putin that will prevent him attacking again.”
He said deals crashed between Putin and Trump will need “a security guaruntee” to ensure it is a durabe peace.
Speaking at London’s institute for Government, he said: “We need a security guarantee for Ukraine in Ukraine that is capable of delivering what President Trump has says he wants, which is a durable peace.
“That requires an end to the Russian attack and no repeat of that in the future.
“The European countries have to play a leading part in that guarantee.
“But it will require a backstop from the US, because in the end it is only the US that can provide the deterrence to Putin that will prevent him attacking again.”
The focus of the talks was not only to help secure a deal which ends the conflict but to also improve the powerful two nations diplomatic and economic ties.
Russia are hoping to return to the global sphere after being essentially banished from the world stage since they first broke past Ukraine’s borders.
Putin’s struggling country has been constricted by damaging sanctions which have seriously stunted their economic growth.
Moscow expects “progress” will soon come on the economic front to get Western sanctions removed, a negotiator said.
A growing bond with Trump’s new look America could prove to be Vlad’s way back in – despite him still being despised by many across the globe.
PUTIN SPEAKING UP
One of the main goals of the Saudi Arabia peace talks was to open up the door for tyrant Vlad to speak with President Trump in the near future.
Trump has already said he and Putin will speak in person soon as he offered up Saudi Arabia as a likely first spot.
Putin gleefully responded by offering the US president to come to Moscow as well after their first meet.
But an official date or location is still yet to be agreed with nothing being confirmed during today’s talks.
Kremlin aide Ushakov said conditions for a meeting are being discussed, but they are still undecided on the details.
He added: “We are ready for this, but it is still difficult to talk about a specific date for the meeting of the two leaders.”
Another key takeaway from today saw the Kremlin confirm that Putin is ready to speak to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to achieve a peace deal “if necessary”.
ReutersRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine will not be allowed to join Nato under any agreed teams[/caption]
APPutin and Trump are edging towards a meeting but no more details have emerged today[/caption]
Putin and Zelensky have never spoken directly to one another since Vlad’s illegal invasion three years ago.
But the dictator is now said to be ready to negotiate if he must.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced Putin will talk to Zelensky if a few conditions are met.
Peskov said: “Putin himself said that he would be ready to negotiate with Zelensky if necessary but the legal basis of agreements needs discussion considering the reality that Zelensky’s legitimacy can be questioned.”
Moscow has constantly labelled Ukraine’s heroic leader as an illegitimate president due to Zelensky continuing to be in charge despite his official term ending in 2024.
Ukraine has been trapped under martial law since Putin’s cross-border massacre meaning a fair election hasn’t been able to take place -leaving Zelensky as the president. – annoying a disgruntled Putin.
The Kremlin said the tense presidential sit down between the long term enemies would only take place after the wider issue of European security is addressed by all.
Peskov added: “A lasting and long-term viable resolution is impossible without a comprehensive consideration of security issues on the continent.
“With regard to Ukraine joining the EU, it is the sovereign right of any country… Nobody can dictate to another country and we do not plan on dictating.
“But it is completely different when it comes to security issues and military alliances.
“Here we have a different approach that is well known.”
EUROPEAN TROUBLES
European leaders have tried to muscle their way into the talks to try and make sure stability in the continent can continue even if Putin gets his way in the negotiations.
Europe was also absent from today’s peace talks with Zelensky saying leaders must be present at any upcoming conversations.
He said on Telegram: “Ukraine, Europe – in a broad sense, which includes the European Union, Turkey and Britain – must be involved together with America in the talks and development of the necessary security guarantees that concern the fate of our part of the world.”
Rubio insisted that “nobody” is being frozen out of peace negotiations.
He added the European Union “is going to have to be at the table at some point” and that the time will soon come.
Waltz, the White House’s national security adviser, added: “Our allies are being consulted almost on a daily basis.”
PAKeir Starmer has made a rallying cry to Europe urging them to ‘step up’ and deploy peacekeeping troops to Ukraine[/caption]
ReutersThe peacekeeping topic even caused German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to storm out of the meeting[/caption]
The conversation comes after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a rallying cry to Europe urging them to “step up” and deploy peacekeeping troops to Ukraine.
The PM vowed the UK will “do our bit” to try and enforce a peace deal and pressure Putin.
The bold move put pressure on Britain’s allies to also publicly back the idea of a European peacekeeping force in war-torn Ukraine.
But the idea was dramatically rejected by a number of other fellow leaders.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described Starmer’s pleas as “premature” and “highly inappropriate”.
He then stormed out of the meeting adding that the shear thought of making decisions seemingly on behalf of Ukraine was “irritating”.
Poland, Spain and Italy all joined Germany in scrutinising Starmer’s plan.
British boots in Ukraine has been met with Ukrainian joy
BY Noa Hoffman in Lviv and Kyiv
SIR Keir Starmer’s pledge to deploy “British boots in Ukraine” has been met with jubilance in Kyiv.
But in Britain it’s raised more questions than answers as to how Europe must respond to the war.
In eerie Kyiv men between 20 – 50 are few and far between on the frozen streets.
Most of them are stationed across the frontline, have been injured or died fighting what they see as not just a battle for Ukraine – but for the West and Europe and democracy.
From the UK they need certainty. Not empty words.
The PM knows he desperately needs to set out a path to spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence.
How is it feasible for thousands of troops to come and help desperate Ukrainians when Sir Keir hasn’t even explained how he will fund them?
In an empty restaurant in quiet Lviv, I watched as five Ukrainian security chiefs guzzled a shot of vodka.
It was around their fourth toast of night – easy work for these hard as nails military men.
Having drunk to the health of their country and army, this next drink was for Britain.
The chiefs had heard Sir Keir Starmer pledge the possibility of peacekeeping British boots on Ukrainian soil. And for that they were elated.
The promise from the PM came in the wake of US President Donald Trump side-lining Kyiv to kickstart discussions on a deal to end the war with Vladimir Putin.
“Even hearing the words British boots, before anything has happened, is a huge morale boost for my people”, one military top brass told me as he slurped bright red Borscht.
The human tank added: “Many steps in the war are being made first by Britain and then others followed.
“It’s good leadership and this is how it should be. Someone needs to take the lead.”
What he and his top brass colleagues around the table weren’t seeing was the chaos the PM’s announced had sparked.
At home, former British Army chief Lord Dannatt warned the UK military is “so run down” it couldn’t lead any future peacekeeping mission to Kyiv.
Other military sources told The Sun’s defence man Jerome Starkey the army will be stretched to breaking point if thousands of troops go to hold the line in Ukraine.
In Paris last night, at an emergency meeting of leaders to strategize Europe’s response to Trump, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz slated Sir Keir’s proposal.
He told reporters: “It is completely premature and the completely wrong time to be having this discussion now.”
While the response went down more like a cup of cold sick than vodka with military leaders I met in Kyiv, Mr Scholz has somewhat of a point.
There are questions Sir Keir must answer – and fast.
Security chiefs tell me that more than anything, including British boots, they need weapons.
The future of the war is in the air, they say.
Drones, missiles, and air defence capabilities are in short supply but are key to stopping “idiot” Putin’s killing spree.
The war will be far more focused on tech than people in the not distant future.
Responding to Scholz’s backlash against British peacekeepers, a former Ukrainian SAS man told me: “Germany doesn’t have to be afraid of the Russians. There’s no point in being scared.
“If we have well trained British military here on the second or third line it can be very helpful so we can send our people to the frontline.”
He added: “What I’m hearing from Germany is disappointing. Historically, Germany they are scared of Nazi flashbacks.
“There are people saying Germans can’t be on sovereign Ukrainian soil.
“This is bull**** said by people who support Russian propaganda.”
In Lviv I received a warning.
“We will fight until the death,” a security chief told me.
“We have nothing to lose. We are not going anywhere.
“But the war is not about Ukraine and it won’t stop in Ukraine.
“Putin is coming to Europe and we can’t stop him forever.”
Sir Keir’s words are welcomed – but it will be his plan of execution that really has any bearing on the devastating war.
So far that is missing.
APPutin is ready to speak to Zelensky ‘if necessary’ the Kremlin said today[/caption]
ReutersUkrainian servicemen fire an MRLS BM-21 missile towards the Russian army in the Donetsk region[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
