logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
47m 25s

US-Russia talks in Riyadh on Ukraine war

Bbc World Service
About this episode

The US and Russia have met in Saudi Arabia to begin negotiations on ending the Ukraine war. The high level meeting, led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, was the first since Moscow's full-scale invasion three years ago.

Also in the programme: Israel pulls out of villages in southern Lebanon as part of its ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, but leaves some hilltop outposts in a move the UN says violates the deal; and as the first legal challenge to an action by the Trump administration reaches the US Supreme Court - will it shift the limits of the president's powers?

(IMAGE: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) and Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov (2-R) attending a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2-L), US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (3-L) and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (L), Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Saudi National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban at Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 18 February 2025. / CREDIT: Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Up next
Today
Trump says first phase of Gaza ceasefire deal agreed
US President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of his Gaza ceasefire deal. We'll speak to the father of one of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza and get reaction from Gaza City. We also assess the chances and the many obstacles that remain in the w ... Show More
46m 43s
Yesterday
Ex-FBI director James Comey pleads not guilty to charges of lying to Congress
Former FBI director James Comey has pleaded not guilty in a US federal court to charges of making false statements to Congress and obstruction of justice. Also on the programme: President Trump has called for the jailing of Illinois governor and Chicago mayor, accusing them of no ... Show More
55 m
Yesterday
Gold surges past $4,000 an ounce
The price of gold has hit a record high of more than $4,000 an ounce as investors look for safe places to put their money over concerns about economic and political uncertainty around the world.Also in the programme: Is time running out for France's President Emmanuel Macron? And ... Show More
49m 57s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
Ukraine accepts 30-day ceasefire
Ukraine accepts 30-day ceasefire in war with Russia. After a day of talks in Saudi Arabia, US agrees to resume military aid to Kyiv and intelligence sharing. Secretary of State Rubio says ball is now in Russia's court. 
26m 22s
Mar 2025
Putin Agrees to Help Trump Broker Nuclear Talks With Iran: Bloomberg Exclusive
Russia agreed to assist President Donald Trump’s administration in communicating with Iran on issues including the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program and its support for regional anti-US proxies, according to people familiar with the situation. Trump relayed that interest directl ... Show More
10m 37s
Jun 2024
Israeli offensive in Lebanon, Hajj completed, Putin in North Korea – Trending
Thoraya Abdullahi gives a round-up of today’s trends.  On today’s episode, Arab leaders have congratulated Saudi Arabia on a successful Hajj season. More than 1.8 million pilgrims took part, of whom 22 per cent were from Arab countries.   Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ... Show More
1m 18s
Mar 2025
Ukraine’s troops surrounded as peace talks begin
US-Ukraine peace talks will resume on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, the first since the Oval Office row 10 days ago. But after a bruising week since, during which the US ended its military aid for and intelligence sharing with Ukraine and Russia has taken advantage on the battlefield, ... Show More
10m 18s
Feb 2025
Trump says he expects to meet Putin in Saudi Arabia
US President Donald Trump says he will likely meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia in the near future for negotiations on Ukraine. Also: London's first Roman basilica found under office basement. 
28m 4s
Feb 2025
Putin’s Wildest Dreams Come True
Tommy and Ben discuss the seismic shift in US foreign policy that happened this past week after Trump announced that the US and Russia would directly negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine through talks that exclude Ukraine and Europe. They also explain how JD Vance’s first forei ... Show More
1h 35m
Mar 2025
Latest on Ukraine Peace Talks
A delegation from the US is meeting with Kremlin representatives in Saudi Arabia today for negotiations on a partial ceasefire in Ukraine. It comes one day after a US team met with Ukrainian negotiators for what officials are calling "productive" talks. Dara Massicot is an expert ... Show More
58m 8s
Mar 2025
Ceasefire in Ukraine?
Tommy and Ben discuss late-breaking news that Russia and Ukraine may agree to a 30-day ceasefire, Canada’s new Prime Minister and the rapidly escalating trade war with the United States that he’ll inherit, and the final death knell for USAID. They also talk about the irrational a ... Show More
1h 41m
Apr 2025
Will Trump abandon his efforts to end the war in Ukraine?
The US President's patience is running thin. Washington's efforts to end the war in Ukraine are making little progress, and the Trump administration is threatening to walk away. Will the warning push Russia and Ukraine to engage seriously to end the conflict now in its third year ... Show More
24m 35s