US, Russian officials meet in Saudi to normalize ties

Move by America reverses its policy decision of isolating Russia

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SENIOR American and Russian officials, including the countries' top diplomats, will hold talks on improving their ties and negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine, officials said on Monday, in what would be the most significant meeting between the sides since Moscow's invasion of its neighbor nearly three years ago.

The talks, scheduled for Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, mark another pivotal step by the Trump administration to reverse US policy on isolating Russia, and are meant to pave the way for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The recent US diplomatic blitz on the war has sent Kyiv and key allies scrambling to ensure a seat at the table amid concerns that Washington and Moscow could press ahead with a deal that won't be favorable to them. France called an emergency meeting of European Union countries and the UK on Monday to decide how to respond.