US and Russia praise talks

OFFICIALS at talks in Saudi Arabia between Russia and the United States have agreed to restore embassy staffing and create a high-level team to negotiate peace in Ukraine and promote economic co-operation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.

Mr Rubio said that actions over the last years have reduced both countries' diplomatic missions' abilities to operate. He said: "We're going to need to have vibrant diplomatic missions that are able to function normally in order to be able to continue these conduits.

"Should this conflict come to an acceptable end, the 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." Mr Rubio's remarks were further evidence of the remarkable US reversal on Russia after years in which President Donald Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, led inter-national efforts to isolate Moscow. He also said that ending Russia's war in Ukraine would require concessions from all sides.