"There must be thorough preparations before the meeting. In fact, this process has already begun, and the discussions in Riyadh mark an important phase. The key issues include normalizing relations between our two countries and finding ways to resolve the most serious and potentially dangerous situations, including the crisis in Ukraine," Ryabkov said.
At the same time, he emphasized that preparations for the Russia-US summit are still in the preliminary phase.
On Tuesday, senior Russian and American officials held high-level talks in Riyadh. Russia was represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, while the United States was represented by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy for Middle Eastern Affairs Steven Witkoff.
For the first time in a long while, Russia and the U.S. engaged in direct, face-to-face discussions. Both sides agreed to fully restore cooperation and explore new areas of mutual interest. In particular, Moscow and Washington committed to removing barriers hindering the operation of embassies and diplomatic institutions and establishing a high-level working group to accelerate efforts toward resolving the Ukraine crisis, Lavrov said.