Russia on Feb. 18 ended years of political isolation sparked by its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as a delegation of Kremlin officials met with their U.S. counterparts in Saudi Arabia to discuss how to end the very war it started.

Yuri Ushakov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy adviser, said on Monday that Moscow and Washington had yet to agree on how to embark on Ukraine peace talks as the U.S. had not yet appointed a chief negotiator to talk to Russia.

Europe will invest more in security and lead on providing guarantees to Kyiv, but cooperation with Washington to secure peace remains crucial, European leaders said after an emergency meeting held ahead of U.