Russia has warned that deployment of Nato troops "under other flags" is "unacceptable", dampening Sir Keir Starmer's proposals of deploying UK peacekeeping troops to Ukraine.
Following high-level talks in Saudi Arabia, the US and Russia have agreed to work out "irritants" in the "bilateral relationship" in order to normalise diplomatic relations, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement.
Both countries also said they would appoint high-level teams to work on ending the Ukraine conflict "as soon as possible in a way that is enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all sides".
Whilst Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, said that the meeting was "very useful" as the sides "did not just listen to each other, but heard each other", he also issued a warning.
Putin and Trump pictured in 2018GETTY
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff
Reuters
Yesterday, Starmer has said that he is 'ready and willing' to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine
PA
Speaking after the talks in Riyadh, Lavrov said: "We told the US that the deployment of Nato troops in Ukraine, even under other flags, is unacceptable."
Yesterday, Starmer said he was "ready and willing" to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine to uphold any peacekeeping deal, a decision he said he did not take "lightly".
It is understood to be the first time the Prime Minister has explicitly stated he is considering deploying British peacekeepers to the warzone.
Starmer said that the UK is now "ready to play a leading role" in Ukraine’s defence and security, including the commitment of £3billion a year until 2030.
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Members of the delegations attend talks at Diriyah Palace in Riyadh
Reuters
Both countries also said they would appoint high-level teams to work on ending the Ukraine conflict 'as soon as possible'
Reuters
He said alongside the aid, the UK must be "ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary".
However, Lavrov's comments suggest that Russia will not take kindly to any outside presence in the region.
The foreign minister said that Russia stressed to the US delegation that "Nato expansion is a direct threat to Russia".
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US national security adviser Mike Waltz and US envoy Steve Witkoff met for 4.5 hours with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Saudi Arabia.
The meeting follows a phone call between the US and Russian leaders last week.
"One phone call followed by one meeting is not sufficient to establish enduring peace. We must take action, and today we took an important step forward," Bruce added.
The US also thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the talks.
The meeting follows a phone call between the US and Russian leaders last week
REUTERSWhilst there is no official date for a Trump-Putin meeting yet, the leaders are expected to meet, the US delegation says.
Rubio hailed Trump for making contact with Russia, saying it would be fundamental to any end of the invasion of Ukraine. "He’s the only leader in the world that could have started this process here today," he said.
He added: "In order for a conflict to end, everyone involved in that conflict has to be okay with it, it has to be acceptable to them."
Rubio adds that the "goal of today's meeting" was to follow up on the phone call between the two leaders last week and "establish those lines of communication".
"Today is the first step of a long and difficult journey, but an important one."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised the talks for taking place without Ukraine, stating that it's "fundamentally important that any talk to the end of the war does not happen to the backs of the parties involved".
