Ukraine has right to join EU, but not Nato

We seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine. To achieve this, Russia must end its aggression. EMMANUEL MACRON, French President

- Agencies

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA: Russia and the US agreed on Tuesday to start working towards ending the war in Ukraine and improving their diplomatic and economic ties, the two countries' top diplomats said after talks that reflected an extraordinary about-face in US foreign policy under President Donald Trump.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the talks, which were attended by his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and other senior Russian and US officials, marked the beginning of a conversation, and more work needs to be done.

Lavrov echoed Rubio's remarks and told reporters that "the conversation was very useful". "We not only listened, but also heard each other," he said.

Trump's national security adviser, Michael Waltz, and special Mideast envoy Steven Witkoff joined Rubio at the table, along with Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov.

Rift in ties Ties between Russia and the US have fallen to their lowest level in decades in recent years - a rift that has been widening ever since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and only worsened after Moscow's full-scale invasion.

The US, along with European nations, imposed a raft of sanctions on Russia in an effort to damage its economy. And embassies in Washington and Moscow have been hit hard by expulsions of large numbers of diplomats, as well as other restrictions. Teams would work on restoring the countries' respective diplomatic missions in Washington and Moscow, Rubio said.

Rubio said on Tuesday that ending the war in Ukraine could "unlock the door" for "incredible opportunities that exist to partner with the Russians geopolitically on issues of common interest and, frankly, economically on issues that hopefully will be good for the world and also improve our relations in the long term".