Russia08 September, 20263 min read
Lavrov Meets Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud To Resolve Middle East Tensions
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Lavrov and Bin Farhan held Moscow press conference on Middle East mediation. They discussed political cooperation, Houthi attacks, and Gulf tensions involving Washington, Tel Aviv, Tehran.
Lavrov meets Saudi FM
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is interested in resolving the tense situation in the Middle East during a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Moscow on September 8, 2026. Lavrov told reporters that they would discuss bilateral cooperation and regional issues of mutual interest, while Al Saud said Saudi–Russian cooperation "has become an essential factor that helps stabilize the global economy in its entirety." In parallel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for resumption of trilateral negotiations between the United States and Russia after US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner concluded talks in Kyiv and Moscow that included meetings with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
“Moscow is interested in resolving the tense situation in the Middle East , Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday.”
RFE/RL reported that both Zelenskyy and Witkoff described the September 6 talks as “substantial,” with Zelenskyy saying the sides discussed security and economic guarantees for Kyiv and supplies of urgently needed air-defense missiles. The same RFE/RL report said Russian state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Putin as saying the three men would have to address a “difficult situation” during their Kremlin discussions.
Houthi and diplomatic signals
At the Saudi–Russian press conference in Moscow, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said the Kingdom will not hesitate to defend itself against any aggressions, arguing that the Yemeni Houthi militia has opened "a door they cannot bear." The West Asian outlet عاجل quoted Lavrov confirming that Houthi militia attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will have the opposite result, with Moscow stressing support for Riyadh in efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement in Yemen. In the same broader diplomatic push, Eurasia Review said Witkoff stressed that the United States was seeking a diplomatic resolution to the conflict rather than a kinetic one, while Kushner supported renewing trilateral negotiations between Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington.
Eurasia Review also quoted Witkoff saying, “It’s going to take both sides to make some compromises and narrow the issues between them and we think we have the ingredients to get to that place,” and added that Zelenskyy wrote on his Telegram page that the discussions included representatives of Britain, France, and Germany. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, cited by RFE/RL, called the talks “substantive, very frank, and constructive,” and said the envoys promised to present Putin’s views to Ukrainian leaders during their talks in Kyiv.
What comes next
Eurasia Review said a White House official told RFE/RL that “the two sides discussed substantive plans for next steps, which will be announced in the coming weeks,” and that the envoys “look forward to equally productive meetings” in Ukraine. The report also said Zelenskyy told reporters that if the war continues in the winter, Ukraine is “very much counting on the winter [aid] package,” which he discussed in detail with Steve, Jared, and European partners. On the security front, Eurasia Review reported that Ukraine’s Air Force said Russian forces launched 108 drones overnight into September 6, and that air defenses shot down or suppressed 88 drones by 9:30 a.m., while strikes were recorded at 11 locations and falling debris at seven.
“It helps us balance supply and demand and ensure the interests of both producers and consumers.”
Eurasia Review further stated that Ukraine said its forces struck targets inside Russia overnight, including the Ryazan oil refinery and a military airfield in the Rostov region, and that Russian officials acknowledged drone attacks and fires but did not confirm that the facilities identified by Ukraine had been hit. Meanwhile, A News reported that Lavrov and Al Saud discussed energy and energy markets, with Al Saud saying it “helps us balance supply and demand and ensure the interests of both producers and consumers,” as the two sides continued consultations and coordination.