U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. File
| Photo Credit: AP

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. would know “very quickly” whether Hamas was serious or not during the current technical talks.
| Photo Credit: AP

U.S. and Russian officials during a meeting at Diriyah Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

Washington said Russia and the United States will name teams to negotiate a path to ending the war in Ukraine as soon as possible, as the superpowers met on Tuesday (February 18, 2025) in Saudi Arabia without Kyiv or the EU.

However, no specifics on a possible meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin emerged from the gathering in Riyadh, the first high-level official Washington-Moscow talks since Ukraine’s 2022 invasion.

Some European leaders, alarmed by Trump’s overhaul of U.S. policy on Russia, fear Washington will make serious concessions to Moscow and re-write the continent’s security arrangement in a Cold War-style deal between superpowers.

On Tuesday (February 18, 2025), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed to “appoint respective high-level teams to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible”, the State Department said.

Washington added the sides had also agreed to “establish a consultation mechanism” to address “irritants” to Russia and America’s relationship, noting the sides would lay the groundwork for future cooperation.

Russia offered less detail on the outcome of the talks, saying: “We discussed and outlined our principled positions, and agreed that separate teams of negotiators will be in touch on this topic in due course.”

“It is still difficult to talk about a specific date for a meeting between the two leaders,” said Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy aide.

Russia sketched out some of its perspectives on future talks to ending the fighting in Ukraine, arguing that settling the war required a reorganisation of Europe’s defence agreements.

Moscow has long called for the withdrawal of NATO forces from eastern Europe, viewing the alliance as an existential threat on its flank.

“A lasting and long-term viable resolution is impossible without a comprehensive consideration of security issues on the continent,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday, responding to a question by AFP.

Before invading Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow had demanded NATO pull out of central and eastern Europe.

European leaders held an emergency meeting in Paris a day earlier, but struggled to put on a united front.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in Turkey on Tuesday, said on the eve of the talks that he was not invited and would not “recognise any things or any agreements about us without us”.

Isolated by the West for three years, Russia is hoping for a “restoration” of ties with the United States and a comeback to the international arena.

At the Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, negotiations began without visible handshakes.

‘How to start negotiations’

Both Russia and the United States have cast Tuesday’s meeting as the beginning of a potentially lengthy process and downplayed the prospects of a breakthrough.

Russia’s Ushakov told state media the talks would discuss “how to start negotiations on Ukraine”.

Trump has said he wants to end the war in Ukraine, but has thus far presented no concrete plan.

The United States has urged both sides that concessions will have to be made if any peace talks materialise.

Russia on the eve of the summit said there cannot be even a “thought” on it giving up territory seized from Ukraine.

The Kremlin said Tuesday that Ukraine had the “right” to join the European Union, but not the NATO military alliance.

It also said Putin was “ready” to negotiate with Zelensky “if necessary”, though repeated its questioning of his “legitimacy” — a reference to his five-year term expiring last year, despite Ukrainian law not requiring elections during wartime.

The Ukrainian leader was in Turkey on Tuesday for discussions on the conflict with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He is due in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, though he said he does not plan to meet with US or Russian officials.

‘Efforts toward peace’

The EU, reeling from a series of speeches by Trump’s officials indicating Washington does not see Moscow as a threat, said it still wants to “partner” with the United States on any truce talks.

Trump’s administration has given no clear answer on whether the EU would take part and Moscow has said it sees no point in Europe having a seat at the table.

“Financially and militarily, Europe has brought more to the table than anyone else,” the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said on social media.

“We want to partner with the US to deliver a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.”

Key Russian ally China also welcomed “efforts towards peace” on Tuesday.

“At the same time, we hope that all parties and stakeholders can participate,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

Russia has presented cautious optimism on the talks.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department in Washington, U.S.. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The Trump administration will pursue a relationship with China that advances U.S. interests and puts the American people first, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Mr. Rubio on Friday (January 25, 2024) spoke today with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang, the first call between the two diplomats since President Donald Trump’s administration took office on January 20.

 “Secretary Rubio emphasised that the Trump administration will pursue a US-PRC (People’s Republic of China) relationship that advances US interests and puts the American people first,” said the State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

Also read | China and U.S. partners are moving closer as Trump returns to the White House

“The Secretary also stressed the United States’ commitment to our allies in the region and serious concern over China’s coercive actions against Taiwan and in the South China Sea,” Ms. Bruce said.

China claims most of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims.  Rubio also discussed other issues of bilateral, regional, and global importance with Mr. Wang.

In the first year of Trump’s first term, the U.S.-China ties deteriorated amid a trade war that unleashed a series of tit-for-tat tariffs.

Meanwhile, Congressman John Moolenaar,  Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and Congressman Tom Suozzi introduced the Restoring Trade Fairness Act, the first bipartisan bill that would revoke China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR).

A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate by Senators Tom Cotton and Jim Banks.

This comes following President Trump’s new executive order, directing the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to assess legislative proposals regarding Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China.

In 2000, as China prepared to enter the World Trade Organisation, Congress voted to extend PNTR status to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), hoping the Chinese Communist Party would liberalise and adopt fair trading practices.

In another development, Senator Ted Cruz introduced the Protecting Military Installations and Ranges Act to protect Department of Defence installations and training areas from American adversaries.

The bill restricts the purchase of certain property by a foreign person acting for or on behalf of Russia, China, Iran, or North Korea.

“Foreign adversaries are exploiting loopholes to acquire land near our military bases and training routes, jeopardising the safety of our troops and the integrity of our operations,” Cruz said.

Congressman Dan Meuser has reintroduced the China Exchange Rate Transparency Act, legislation aimed at addressing China’s opaque and manipulative currency practices that undermine fair trade and global economic stability.

“China’s long-standing disregard for financial transparency and its manipulation of foreign exchange markets have tilted the playing field against US businesses and disrupted global economic norms,” said Meuser.

“This legislation demands accountability and insists on adherence to international standards of transparency and fairness,” he added.

The China Exchange Rate Transparency Act (CERT Act) directs the United States Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to advocate for enhanced transparency in China’s exchange rate arrangements.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (January 22, 2025) to reiterate Washington’s support for its ally, and the two also discussed Iran and Israeli hostages in Gaza, the State Department said.

The call was Mr. Rubio’s first with Israel since the administration of Republican President Donald Trump took office on Monday (January 20, 2025). Mr. Trump and his predecessor, Democratic former President Joe Biden, have both been supporters of Israel during its wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

Mr. Rubio underscored that “maintaining the United States’ steadfast support for Israel is a top priority for Trump,” the State Department said in a statement.

Mr. Rubio told Mr. Netanyahu that Washington will continue to work “tirelessly” to help free the remaining hostages in Gaza, the State Department added.

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel’s subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, the Gaza Health Ministry says, while also leading to accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies.

The assault displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza and caused a hunger crisis. A ceasefire went into effect on Sunday (January 19, 2025) and has led to the release of some Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Rights groups have criticised the mounting humanitarian crisis from Israel’s Military assault. Washington has maintained its support, saying it is helping its ally in its defense against Iran-backed militant groups including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

“The Secretary also conveyed that he looks forward to addressing the threats posed by Iran and pursuing opportunities for peace,” the State Department said.