US Officials Meet Saudi Leaders Ahead of Talks with Russia
Rubio told the Crown Prince that he looked forward to increased economic and defense cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia.
WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan 24) - A team of senior U.S. officials arrived on Monday in Riyadh, where they will meet with a Russian delegation.
The agenda of their talks will involve two issues: how to end the war in Ukraine, as well as how to reinforce the ceasefire in Gaza, according to The Washington Post.
Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, may take part in the talks between the U.S. and Russian delegations, but that “was not immediately clear,” the Post said.
The U.S. delegation includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.
The Russian delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Yury Ushakov, a foreign policy adviser to President Vladimir Putin.
Rubio’s Meetings with Saudi Officials
On Monday, the U.S. delegation, led by Rubio, met with bin Salman. The meeting began with Rubio underscoring “the strength of the U.S.-Saudi relationship,” the U.S. read-out of their meeting said.
Rubio noted that it was 80 years ago this month that U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt met the Saudi ruler, who was also founder of the contemporary Saudi state, King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud.
Rubio told bin Salman that he “looked forward to increased economic and defense cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia and committed to further strengthening the bilateral partnership,” the read-out added.
Bin Salman has said that Saudi Arabia is ready to make very large investments—as much as $500 billion—in the U.S.
Read More: Trump: Saudi Arabia Will Likely Host First Meeting with Putin
Much of the meeting between the U.S. officials and the Saudi Crown Prince focused on the situation in Gaza. On Feb. 20, Saudi Arabia will host an Arab summit on the conflict there.
Thus, as State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said after their meeting, they “underscored the importance of an arrangement for Gaza that contributes to regional security,”as the Voice of America (VOA) reported.
She did not mention any discussion of Trump’s highly controversial proposal to move the Palestinisns out of Gaza, the VOA said.
Bruce added that the U.S. and Saudi officials had “reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring that Hamas releases all hostages, including American citizens.
They also “discussed ways to advance their shared interests in Syria [and] Lebanon,” according to the State Department’s published read-out of the meeting.
The main issue in Syria is establishing a stable government, following the overthrow of the Baathist regime of Bashar al-Assad. Moreover, Syria has played a dominant role in Lebanon, and Assad’s overthrow has freed politics in that country as well.
The U.S. and Saudi leaders also discussed how to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, where the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have been targeting international shipping, ostensibly in support of Hamas in its war with Israel.
The U.S. delegation also met with Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah. “They reviewed relations and ways to strengthen them to serve the interests of their countries,” the Saudi media outlet, Asharq Al-Awsat, reported.