U.S. and Russian Officials to Hold Follow-Up Talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday

U.S. and Russian officials are planning to meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, a diplomatic source told AFP, marking a follow-up to last week's high-level discussions between the two countries.

Delegations from both sides will "meet in Riyadh on Tuesday," the source said Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.

While the meeting will take place at a lower level than last week's, it is still seen as "a sign of progress," the source added, without disclosing the names of those who will participate.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in the Saudi capital for talks that could lay the groundwork for a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

During those talks, Washington and Moscow agreed to establish a "consultation mechanism" to address disputes and appoint negotiators for discussions on the war in Ukraine. It was the first meeting of its kind since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The diplomatic push follows a February phone call between Trump and Putin that unsettled European leaders and challenged the previous U.S. Administration's approach of isolating Russia.