Kremlin confirms Russia-US meeting to be held on Tuesday in Riyadh

MOSCOW

The Kremlin spokesman announced on Monday that a Russia-US meeting will take place in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Dmitry Peskov stated that the Russian delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential aide on foreign affairs Yury Ushakov.

"Today, on behalf of President (Vladimir) Putin, Foreign Minister Lavrov and Presidential Aide Ushakov are flying to Riyadh. They are expected to meet with their American counterparts on Tuesday, with discussions primarily focused on restoring the full spectrum of Russian-American relations," Peskov said.

The meeting will focus on the Russia-US bilateral relations, preparations for negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement, and a potential meeting between the leaders of the two countries, Putin and Donald Trump, he also said.

Saudi Arabia was chosen as the venue because it is acceptable to both sides, Peskov noted, adding that discussions on European participation in the Ukrainian settlement talks remain premature.