In comments at a press conference after his July 3 meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: “We are ready to consider this hospitable and friendly location, as we did back in February during the Russia-U.S. talks. We believe that both we and the Americans felt very comfortable there, and if new contacts are planned in the future—in coordination with Washington, of course—we will certainly keep Saudi Arabia in mind,” he added.
Lavrov also reiterated Russia’s position that the roots of the Ukraine crisis have to be addressed for a ceasefire to function. “We cannot be satisfied with a resolution that fails to fully address Russia’s legitimate security interests or to eliminate and prevent future violations of the rights of Russian and Russian-speaking populations.”
