Jaishankar, Lavrov discuss US-Russia talks in Riyadh on ending Ukraine war
Two days after he met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Riyadh to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks Thursday with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who said they discussed “developments pertaining to the Ukraine conflict” including the meeting in Riyadh, and agreed to stay in touch.
Lavrov and Jaishankar met on the sidelines of the G20 ministerial meeting in Johannesburg in South Africa. In a post later on X, Jaishankar said, “Reviewed the continued progress of India-Russia bilateral cooperation. Discussed recent developments pertaining to the Ukraine conflict, including his Riyadh meeting. Agreed to remain in touch.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry too said that the two Foreign Ministers had held talks in Johannesburg.
Jaishankar was in the US last week and from there had headed to the Munich Security Conference.
On February 15, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Donald Trump at the White House and said India is on the side of peace in the Russia-Ukraine war, Jaishankar had met Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha in Munich and discussed efforts to resolve the conflict.
Thanking Jaishankar for “our meaningful meeting”, Sybiha said, “We are interested in developing relations with India and advancing cooperation in trade, technology, agriculture, security and other areas. We also rely on India’s strong global voice to bring a just and lasting peace closer.”
At the meeting in Riyadh, the US and Russia decided to restart engagement, bring back expelled staff in their embassies and talk about the economic roadmap.
The fact that Ukraine is not at the table, and nor is Europe, has raised many questions on the future of the trans-Atlantic partnership between US and Europe.
India has not yet taken a position on the talks between US and Russia, and is watching the situation closely. It has called for “dialogue and diplomacy” to resolve the conflict. Prime Minister Modi has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that “this is not the era of war” and “solutions can’t be found on the battlefield”.
The Riyadh meeting signalled a change in the US policy of isolating Moscow and supporting Ukraine – a policy followed by the previous administration under President Biden ever since the start of the war — much to the consternation of Europe. European leaders are also trying to put together a response, and have met in Paris in the last few days.
The meeting of G20 Foreign Ministers is crucial even though Rubio is not attending it – he objected to the agenda, and called it anti-American. Earlier this month, he said South Africa was “using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability.’ In other words: DEI and climate change. My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism.”
The DEI stands for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and President Donald Trump, in his first week in the White House, signed an executive order to end DEI policies and hiring practices in the federal workforce. However, US officials are attending the meeting.
