Today's News: U.S.-Russia Talks in Saudi Arabia Signal Shift in Ukraine War Policy

Ukraine and European allies were notably absent from the talks, raising concerns about Kyiv’s sovereignty and European security.

The Newsie Project is an experiment using AI tools to survey contemporary reporting. It attempts to summarize, compare, and contrast the reporting of the major US online news sources.

Photo: Evelyn Hockstein / AFP - Getty Images

Overview

• Date: February 18, 2025

• Topic: U.S.-Russia Talks in Saudi Arabia Signal Shift in Ukraine War Policy

• Summary: High-level talks between U.S. and Russian officials took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking a dramatic shift in American foreign policy under President Donald Trump. The discussions focused on potential peace negotiations for the war in Ukraine, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov leading the delegations. Ukraine and European allies were notably absent from the talks, raising concerns about Kyiv’s sovereignty and European security. The U.S. and Russia agreed to restore embassy staffing and explore geopolitical and economic cooperation should the war end. While the talks did not result in a concrete peace plan, they laid the groundwork for future negotiations, potentially involving a Trump-Putin summit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the exclusion of Ukraine from the discussions, while European leaders warned of the geopolitical consequences of a U.S.-Russia détente without their involvement.

Sources

• CNN: Live Updates: US and Russia discuss Ukraine war as Trump’s federal overhaul takes shape

• NBC News: U.S. and Russia agree to restore embassy staffing in high-level talks on Ukraine war

• The New York Times: U.S. and Russia Pursue Partnership in a Head-Spinning Shift in Relations

• Fox News: US, Russian officials propose peace plan, lay 'groundwork for cooperation' in Riyadh

• The Washington Post: Trump administration launches talks with Russia on Ukraine war

• Wall Street Journal: U.S., Russia’s First High-Level Talks in Years Yield New Initiatives

Key Points

• The U.S. and Russia held high-level talks in Riyadh, marking a major policy shift under President Trump, with discussions centered on ending the war in Ukraine and normalizing relations.

• Ukraine and European allies were not included in the talks, raising concerns about their exclusion from negotiations affecting their security.

• The U.S. and Russia agreed to restore embassy staffing and initiate high-level teams to work toward ending the war.

• Russian officials indicated that the talks could lay the groundwork for a Trump-Putin summit.

• The Trump administration framed the discussions as preliminary and exploratory, while Russian officials viewed them as a step toward broader diplomatic and economic cooperation.

Unique Highlights

• CNN emphasized Ukraine’s opposition to the talks, highlighting Zelensky’s rejection of any peace deal negotiated without Kyiv’s involvement.

• NBC News reported on the agreement to restore diplomatic staffing in embassies, a significant reversal of past U.S. policy toward Moscow.

• The New York Times noted that Russian officials framed the talks as an opportunity to restart economic ties, potentially benefiting American oil companies.

• Fox News highlighted the potential for Ukrainian elections as part of a peace plan and suggested that both the U.S. and Russia believe Zelensky has a low chance of winning reelection.

• The Washington Post reported on European concerns that the Trump administration is prioritizing a quick peace deal over long-term security considerations.

• The Wall Street Journal detailed the Trump administration’s approach, emphasizing its break from traditional U.S. foreign policy and the potential for direct U.S.-Russia negotiations.

Contrasting Details

• CNN and The Washington Post stressed concerns about Ukraine’s exclusion and the risk of a peace deal that benefits Russia. Fox News, in contrast, portrayed the talks as a diplomatic breakthrough.

• The New York Times framed the negotiations as part of a broader U.S.-Russia realignment, while NBC News focused on the specific diplomatic agreement to restore embassies.

• The Wall Street Journal highlighted Trump’s preference for fast-tracked diplomacy, while CNN and The Washington Post cautioned that European allies view this shift as destabilizing.

• Fox News reported that the U.S. and Russia might push Ukraine to hold elections as part of a peace deal, a detail not covered by other outlets.

• The New York Times suggested that American business interests, particularly in energy, played a role in the discussions, a point largely absent from other reports.

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This is an evolving project. Tools, approaches, and output formats will change over time. The Newsie Project does not attempt to provide a definitive capsule of any news story. While the incidence of errors in these summaries is low, and I attempt to spot-check details, AI tools can hallucinate. Please click through and read the articles for details (some may be paywalled).