U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the outcomes of recent talks between American and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia, according to the U.S. State Department.
On March 15, Rubio and Lavrov addressed “the next steps following the recent meetings in Saudi Arabia” and agreed to continue efforts toward “restoring communication between the U.S. and Russia.”
Additionally, Rubio briefed Lavrov on U.S. deterrence measures against Iran-backed Houthis.
Following the March 11 meeting in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire if Russia reciprocated.
On March 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded cautiously to the U.S. proposal, neither rejecting it outright nor accepting it without reservations. He hinted that Moscow might introduce its own conditions.
That same day, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited Moscow. The Kremlin later stated that “additional signals” had been conveyed to Donald Trump through him.
Soon after, Trump described the discussion with the Kremlin leader as “very good and productive,” expressing optimism that “there is now a very good chance that this terrible, bloody war could finally end.”
