Russia rejects NATO troops in Ukraine, starts U.S. peace talks.

Top U.S., Saudi, and Russian officials met at Diriyah Palace, Riyadh, on Tuesday. Courtesy image.

Russia has firmly rejected the possibility of NATO troops operating in Ukraine under any peace agreement, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated after high-level talks with the United States in Saudi Arabia. Speaking after the meeting, Lavrov emphasized that Russia would not tolerate the presence of foreign armed forces in Ukraine, even under the guise of peacekeepers.

“Any appearance by armed forces under some other flag does not change anything. It is, of course, completely unacceptable,” Lavrov said. His remarks underscore Moscow’s longstanding opposition to NATO’s involvement in Ukraine, which it sees as a direct threat to Russian security.

Despite their differences, Russia and the US agreed to establish teams to negotiate the end of the war in Ukraine. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the agreement as a crucial step towards peace.

“Today is the first step of a long and difficult journey, but an important one,” Rubio stated after the discussions.

The talks, held in Riyadh, marked the first known face-to-face meeting between Russian and American delegations since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The meeting included senior officials from both sides, such as US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov, and the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev.

Notably, Ukraine was not invited to the discussions, a decision that surprised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. His exclusion raises questions about how negotiations will proceed without direct Ukrainian participation.

Despite the tensions, Lavrov acknowledged that the talks had been productive. He announced that both countries would soon reappoint ambassadors to each other’s capitals, aiming to restore full diplomatic cooperation.

“It was a very useful conversation. We listened to each other, and we heard each other,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov also reaffirmed Russia’s long-standing opposition to NATO’s expansion and Ukraine’s potential membership in the alliance. He insisted that such a move would be considered a “direct threat” to Russia’s national security.

The Riyadh talks signal the beginning of what is expected to be a lengthy and complex negotiation process. While direct US-Russia dialogue is a significant development, the exclusion of Ukraine and unresolved security concerns pose major challenges to any potential peace deal.

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