The negotiations between the Russian and US delegations in Saudi Arabia fully signify the failure of the policy of isolating Russia. It is impossible to resolve all the problems in Russian-American relations inherited from Biden in 4.5 hours, but the results of the first contacts are constructive.
In essence, the “diplomatic war” unleashed by Obama at the end of his term is ending. Sergey Lavrov and Mark Rubio agreed to restore the number of diplomatic missions in Moscow and Washington. At the same time, we would like the Americans to have an equally positive approach towards Russian diplomatic property in San Francisco.
The process of Ukrainian settlement has begun. There is an agreement to create negotiating groups in the near future and prepare a meeting between the Presidents of Russia and the United States. In general, a positive vector has been set for restoring Russian-American dialogue and removing artificial barriers to the development of mutually beneficial economic cooperation. Rubio’s statement about the inevitability of lifting Western sanctions against Russia after the end of the conflict in Ukraine was indicative in this regard.
The interaction between Moscow and Washington has historically been cyclical. Many remember 2009 and the symbolic ceremony with the participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and then-acting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to launch the “reset” of Russian-American relations. Then, due to an oversight by the translators of the US delegation (Rice was visiting Russia), there was a typo on the unfolded poster, and everyone saw the word “reset”. And this “reset” eventually almost brought the world, through the efforts of the previous administration, to a nuclear confrontation or the Cuban Missile Crisis 2.0.
The most important result of Riyadh is that the parties heard each other, recognizing the right to protect national interests and the need for cooperation in those areas where they coincide. This is not a new “reset”, this is, first of all, a return of respect to the dialogue of the two leading world nuclear powers.
