High-level U.S. and Russian delegations began talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss the future of Ukraine, marking the first senior-level engagement between Washington and Moscow in nearly three years—but without Ukrainian participation.

The U.S. delegation, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, first met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of the direct U.S.-Russia discussions.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later confirmed that the bilateral negotiations with the U.S. had begun, breaking a years-long diplomatic freeze.

This marks the first high-level dialogue between Washington and Moscow since 2021, when President Joe Biden met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S.-Russia discussions follow a phone conversation last week between President Donald Trump and Putin, where Trump initiated efforts to end the war.

Ahead of the meeting, Lavrov and Rubio spoke by phone on Saturday, signaling a new phase in diplomatic engagement.

A spokesperson for Putin described the meeting as an effort to “restore the entire range of Russian-American relations.”

However, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce emphasized that the U.S. is narrowly focused on Ukraine, calling the talks:

“The second step to determine if the Russians perhaps are serious, and if they’re on the same page.”

With Ukraine absent from the negotiations, concerns are growing over whether Kyiv will be sidelined in shaping its own future.

As Trump’s administration continues direct talks with Moscow, the outcome of these discussions could significantly impact the trajectory of the war and U.S.-European relations.