Russia denies Trump's announcement of second U.S.-Russia meeting in Riyadh
Moscow has unexpectedly contradicted U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of a second round of negotiations with Russia about ending the war against Ukraine, slated for February 25 in Riyadh. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated to Russian media that no U.S.-Russia meeting is planned on the mentioned date.
"I cannot confirm this. No meeting is being prepared in Riyadh," he said.
According to Ryabkov, intensive preparatory work is necessary before holding such a meeting, a process that he says is "essentially already beginning."
He also mentioned that preparations for a Russia-U.S. summit at the level of heads of state are in the early stages.
It's noteworthy that Euronews, citing a statement on C-SPAN, previously reported that the American President had allegedly announced the February 25 meeting between U.S. and Russian delegations in Riyadh.
Meanwhile, the White House has yet to release any official statements on the matter.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that during the first meeting in Saudi Arabia, delegations discussed the possibility of a summit between Trump and Putin. However, the American diplomatic chief clarified that such a meeting would only be possible if progress is made in the resolution process in Ukraine.