U.S. Secretary of State Rubio has High-Stakes Meetings with Saudi Crown Prince and Russian Senior Officials
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 17, 2025 (Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/pool photo/NYT)
On Mon. Feb. 17, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to discuss the Russo-Ukrainian War and the Middle East crisis. The U.S. State Department said that during his meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince, Rubio was focused on “the importance of an arrangement for Gaza that contributes to regional security.” The meeting happened shortly after Trump suggested depopulating Gaza, sending Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt, and then having the U.S. occupy the territory. However, Trump’s Middle East plan requires a Saudi buy-in since Gulf Arab states would be responsible for financing the new Gaza, yet many nations in the region, including Saudi Arabia, oppose Trump’s plan. Saudi Crown Prince Salman has even gone as far as to say previously that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza.
On Tues. Feb. 18, 2025, U.S. and Russian senior officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, met in Saudi Arabia for the longest discussion since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The meeting between the two nations was focused on discussing an end to the Russo-Ukrainian war, potential economic opportunities, and forming normal relations. The talks lasted for over four hours, and was a stark change from the Biden administration’s relationship with Russia. When dealing with Moscow, the Biden administration imposed sanctions while sending weapons and aid to Ukraine, since the Biden administration stood closely with its European allies and was isolationist towards Russia as a result of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Senior U.S. and Russian Officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/pool photo/NYT)
After the talks with Russia, Rubio said that both nations will work together to create a peace settlement for Ukraine as well as look into “the incredible opportunities that exist to partner with the Russians” economically and geopolitically. Russia’s foreign minister Sergey V. Lavrov said that both nations “heard each other” during the talks, also highlighting how Russia used the talks as a platform to discuss Trump’s interest in natural resources and profits, especially if American oil companies began doing business in Russia again. During the meeting, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev, focused on the oil industry, saying that Russia believes that U.S. oil companies will eventually be back “because why would they forgo these opportunities that Russia gave them to have access to Russian natural resources.”
Also after the meeting, Rubio told the media a three-step plan for re-establishing U.S.-Russian relations. First, Russia and the U.S. would talk about how to remove restrictions placed on each other's embassies in DC and Moscow and discuss the “parameters of what an end” to the Russo-Ukrainian War would look like. Rubio said that there will be “engagement and consultation with Ukraine” and with European partners, “but ultimately, the Russian side will be indispensable to this effort.” The U.S. and Russia will then look into a new partnership economically and geopolitically, which Rubio described as having “extraordinary opportunities” if the Russo-Ukrainian War should “come to an acceptable end.”
Ukrainian President Zelensky responding to Trump’s comments about the Russo-Ukrainian War on Feb. 19, 2025, in Kyiv, Ukraine (Photo: Tetiana Dzhafarova/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images/NYT)
However, the U.S.’s growing relationship with Russia has caused much concern among European allies, especially Ukraine. On Feb. 16, 2025, France called an emergency meeting for the U.K. and European Union countries to discuss the Russo-Ukrainian War, since the U.S. has been leaving Europe out of high-stakes conversations about the future of Ukraine. Then, on Feb. 19, 2025, the feud between Zelensky and Trump grew. Zelensky said that Trump was “caught in a web of disinformation” from Russia and that he believed that the U.S. was “helping Putin to come out of years of isolation” that was fairly imposed after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Hours later, Trump called Zelensky a “dictator without elections” and accused Ukraine of starting the war, overlooking the fact that it began with Russia’s invasion. This statement reflects a shift in U.S. rhetoric, signaling a growing alignment with Russia.
The meetings in Saudi Arabia showcase the Trump administration’s focus on profit and building a relationship with Russia. By holding the meetings in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Crown Prince was given a platform on the international stage and a chance to provide their input regarding the Middle East crisis. The meeting between the U.S. and Russia shows the tumultuous change from the Biden administration to the Trump administration’s foreign policy. Biden worked closely with Zelensky, focused on helping Ukraine re-gain its sovereignty, and was isolationist towards Russia due to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. On the other hand, Trump appears to be working closely with Russia, blaming Ukraine for the war, and focusing on economic opportunities.