US and Russia Initiate Diplomatic Contacts in Preparation for Trump-Putin Summit

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a phone call on Saturday, agreeing to maintain regular contact to prepare for a potential Trump-Putin summit. This follows President Trump's recent "highly productive" conversation with Putin. Top US officials, including Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, are set to meet with Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia next week to discuss ending the Ukraine war. The talks mark the first significant dialogue between the two powers regarding the conflict. Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed concern, stating Ukraine should be included in discussions about its future.

 

Source: Reuters, New York Times, and VOA News.