A US-educated former Goldman Sachs banker, with no formal diplomatic role at the time, Dmitriev cut an unexpected figure at the talks next to more conventional members of the Russian delegation such as foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov - to talks between Moscow and Washington in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday. Boris Bondarev, a former diplomat who spent 20 years in the Russian Foreign Ministry before he quit over the war,

Vladimir Putin positively assessed the results of negotiations between the Russian and American delegations in Riyadh. "The goal of the US-Russia meeting in Riyadh was to enhance mutual trust," claims the dictator,

According to Reuters, Putin says Europe is needed in Ukraine talks, but suggests a deal is still far from done. Mr Putin told Russian state television that Mr Trump was approaching the Russia-Ukraine conflict rationally and not emotionally,

Vladimir Putin has positively assessed the outcomes of the negotiations between the Russian and American delegations in Riyadh. "The aim of the meeting was to bolster trust between Russia and the United States,

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his eagerness to meet with US President Donald Trump, stressing the need for thorough preparation to ensure productive discussions. In his televised remarks,

The meeting between the two countries' top diplomats in Riyadh is the most significant since Russia invaded its neighbor almost three years ago. It is meant to pave the way for a meeting between U.S.

Trump said Tuesday he would probably meet Putin this month and dismissed Ukraine's concern about being left out of U.S.-Russian talks in Saudi Arabia.

However, Russian representative Yuri Ushakov believes this scenario is unlikely. In Riyadh, the first round of talks between the U.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country won't accept the outcome of the talks if Kyiv isn't involved.