U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio held a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Feb. 15, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Building on the Feb. 12 phone conversation between the presidents of Russia and the United States, the foreign ministers agreed to maintain a communication channel to address accumulated issues in Russian-American relations," a readout from the Russian Foreign Ministry read.
"This is aimed at removing the unilateral barriers inherited from the previous administration that hinder mutually beneficial trade, economic, and investment cooperation."
The conversation between the two top diplomats comes just days after a Feb. 12 phone call in which Trump agreed Putin that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will start "immediately."
The conversation between Putin and Trump was poorly received in Kyiv, amid concern that Ukraine will be left out of peace negotiations. Zelensky took issue with Trump first holding a conversation with Putin before calling the Ukrainian president, expressing that the situation "was not very pleasant."
"Both sides expressed a mutual willingness to engage on key international issues, including the situation in Ukraine," the readout from the Russian Foreign Ministry continued. "Lavrov and Rubio reaffirmed their readiness to work together to restore a mutually respectful interstate dialogue in line with the tone set by the presidents. They agreed to maintain regular contact, including preparations for a Russian-American summit."
Saudi Arabia will reportedly hold a summit between Trump and Putin in Riyadh, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said on Feb. 14, although the dates have not yet been finalized.
No additional details on the phone conversation were provided. A readout from the State Department was not immediately available.
During a speech at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 15, amid uncertainty over further U.S. support against potential Russian aggression, Zelensky called on Europe to create its own armed forces.
Kateryna Hodunova
