Moscow expects that talks on restoring U.S.-Russia relations will continue and even accelerate in the coming weeks. According to CNN, private discussions are also underway to expedite preparations for a meeting between the two countries’ presidents.
The first round of negotiations between Moscow and Washington took place on February 18 in Saudi Arabia. CNN reports that another round is already being organized and is also expected to be held in a Gulf state.
Russian officials believe that as tensions grow between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will be overshadowed by discussions of potential economic agreements between Washington and Moscow, CNN reports.
Trump spoke by phone with President Vladimir Putin on February 12, marking the first direct conversation between the presidents of the United States and Russia since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Trump later said they had agreed to “work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations.”
