Sawt Falasteen - Stiff and guarded: US and Russia face off in Saudi talks

The rare encounter marked a dramatic shift in US-Russia relations, following last week's phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

The setting itself was striking.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, hosted the meeting at Diriyah Palace, where the kingdom rolled out the red carpet.

The sprawling palace was teeming with Saudi staff, their roles unclear. At the entrance, American and Russian flags fluttered above the conference centre.

The US-Russia meeting was the first of this level and format since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

It offered Russia, largely isolated on the global stage, an opportunity to engage diplomatically.

Gathered around a vast mahogany table, separated by large bouquets of white flowers, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov led their respective delegations.

Rubio, 53, recently appointed to the post, faced off against Lavrov, a seasoned diplomat of 74. The two had never met before, speaking only by phone days earlier.

Among the US officials present were National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. On the Russian side, Putin's diplomatic adviser Yuri Ushakov attended.

Expressions were stiff and guarded, with officials aware of the high stakes.

In Kyiv and European capitals, concerns mounted that decisions affecting Ukraine might be made without them.

Suspicion was palpable, with both sides appearing to be sizing each other up, testing intentions.

There were no smiles, no handshakes for the cameras, and no statements to the media as the meeting began just before 10:30 am (0730 GMT) -- slightly behind schedule.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and National Security Adviser Musaad bin Mohammad al-Aiban attended the opening session before leaving the room.

The talks began with a two-and-a-half-hour session, followed by a 15-minute break before resuming over lunch.

By the time they ended shortly after 3:00 pm, a Kremlin aide said it was "hard to say" whether US and Russian positions were getting closer and that it was too early to talk about a date for a Trump-Putin summit.

Q.Najjar--SF-PST