18th February, 2025
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday to explore ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
The meeting followed President Donald Trump’s February 12 conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Rubio was joined by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Ambassador Steve Witkoff, while Lavrov was accompanied by Russian Aide to the President Yuri Ushakov.
In a statement issued by U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, Rubio said President Trump is determined to stop the bloodshed and is leveraging U.S. influence to foster peace.
He asserted that Trump is the only global leader capable of securing an agreement between Ukraine and Russia.
Both sides agreed to establish a consultation mechanism to ease tensions in U.S.-Russia relations, aiming to restore normal diplomatic operations.
They also committed to appointing high-level teams to negotiate a lasting, sustainable resolution to the Ukraine conflict.
Additionally, the talks laid the foundation for future cooperation on geopolitical and economic opportunities that could arise from an end to the war.
Rubio emphasised the need for continued engagement, stating, “One phone call followed by one meeting is not sufficient to establish enduring peace. We must take action, and today we took an important step forward.”
He also thanked Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud for hosting the discussions.
