Russian delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Riyadh for the first official contact between the governments since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russian delegation led by Lavrov met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Saudi Arabia

This was the first official contact between the two governments since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Dmitriev was seen in Riyadh but excluded from the main table initially

Putin initially approved only Lavrov and Ushakov for the delegation

Dmitriev appealed directly to Putin to join the meeting, a request reportedly granted without Lavrov's knowledge

Lavrov objected when he noticed a third chair prepared for Dmitriev, insisting Putin should tell him personally if Dmitriev were to attend

Dmitriev left the room shortly after, speaking to journalists instead

Russia continues to display no indications that it is prepared to make any meaningful concessions on Ukraine

Putin still wants to control all of Ukraine and his goals remain maximalist according to Western intelligence