The United States and Russia recently wrapped up four hours of talks in Saudi Arabia, with both sides agreeing on four key principles for handling the ongoing war in Ukraine. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined these takeaways:
Fixing Embassy Woes:
Washington and Moscow will restore normal diplomatic operations. Because, let’s face it, if embassies aren’t working properly, how are diplomats supposed to glare at each other across the negotiating table?
Creating a High-Level Team:
The US will appoint a team to negotiate a lasting and acceptable end to the conflict. Hopefully, this team brings more to the table than just stern handshakes and vague statements.
Exploring Future Cooperation: Both sides will start discussing potential geopolitical and economic collaborations once the war ends. A little ambitious? Maybe. But at least it’s a step beyond saber-rattling.
Staying Engaged: The five key officials present—including Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov—have agreed to keep the conversation going. In diplomatic terms, that’s as close to a pinky promise as it gets.
The Trump Factor:
The Man Who Can End the War? Shortly after the talks, Rubio claimed that President Trump is the only leader who can truly end the war. According to him, Trump has shifted the conversation from if the war will end to how it will end. A State Department spokesperson echoed this, stating Trump is the only one who can bring Ukraine and Russia to the table.
Rubio emphasized that the US and Russia are aligned on the goal of ending the war in a “fair, enduring, and sustainable” way. However, what that actually looks like remains an open question.
Meanwhile, in Bureaucratic Drama… In an unrelated but equally dramatic Washington development, Michelle King, the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration, resigned after government watchdogs questioned whether the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had the right to access sensitive records. (No, DOGE is not related to the meme coin, but given how things are run in Washington, we wouldn’t be surprised if that was next.)
A Balancing Act of Interests
Russia’s side of the conversation was summed up by Putin aide Yuri Ushakov, who said that while the US and Russia still have very different positions, both agreed to take each other’s interests into account. Translation: They’re willing to talk, but don’t expect a group hug anytime soon.
Final Thoughts:
Hope or Just Diplomatic Showboating? This latest round of talks is promising, but let’s be real—words are cheap, and history is filled with handshake deals that never turned into real change. On one hand, continued dialogue is better than silence, and some level of agreement means both sides want a solution. On the other hand, big political egos, deeply entrenched interests, and the complexities of war mean peace is still a long way off.
Will this lead to real progress? Or are we just witnessing another chapter in the never-ending diplomatic soap opera? Only time will tell. Until then, the world waits.
Photo: CNN
