Lavrov and Rubio discuss removing obstacles from the previous US administration, per Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged in discussions on the situation in Ukraine on Saturday, addressing the removal of “unilateral barriers” established by the previous U.S. administration, according to Moscow.

In the coming days, U.S. and Russian officials are set to initiate talks aimed at concluding Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprising outreach to European allies by contacting Russian President Vladimir Putin and announcing an immediate commencement of discussions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated on Friday that Ukraine was not included in the talks taking place in Saudi Arabia and emphasized that Kyiv would not engage with Russia without prior consultation with its strategic partners.

During the call, which was initiated by the U.S., Lavrov and Rubio agreed to keep communication open to address issues in their bilateral relations, focusing on the removal of unilateral barriers to mutually beneficial trade, economic, and investment cooperation that were left by the previous administration, as noted in a statement from Russia’s foreign ministry.

The specific barriers discussed were not immediately clear. Under former President Joe Biden, the U.S. and its allies imposed extensive sanctions on Moscow in response to its invasion of Ukraine three years ago, aimed at undermining the Russian economy and constraining the Kremlin’s military efforts.

The U.S. State Department indicated that Rubio reiterated Trump’s commitment to seeking a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine during the call. Furthermore, they explored the potential for collaboration on various other bilateral matters, although no additional details were provided.

Russia reported that Lavrov and Rubio “expressed their mutual willingness to engage on urgent international issues, including the resolution of the situation in Ukraine, the circumstances surrounding Palestine, and broader concerns in the Middle East.”

They reached a consensus to focus on reestablishing “mutually respectful interstate dialogue,” reflecting the tone set by the presidents, according to the ministry. Trump and Putin engaged in a conversation lasting over an hour on Wednesday, marking the first direct communication between the U.S. and Russian presidents since Putin’s call with Biden just prior to deploying tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine in February 2022.

The Russian foreign ministry indicated that Lavrov and Rubio also addressed the need to swiftly enhance “the conditions for the operation of Russian diplomatic missions” in the United States. Experts are scheduled to convene soon “to determine specific measures for mutually alleviating barriers to the operations of Russian and U.S. missions abroad,” as stated by the ministry.