How can the US and Russia negotiate a peace deal without Ukraine? | BBC Newscast

Russia and the US hold peace talks in Saudi Arabia, but a noticeable absentee was any representative of Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergi Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have agreed to appoint teams to start negotiating the end of the war in Ukraine after talks in Saudi Arabia. Speaking after, Lavrov said his country wouldn’t accept peacekeeping forces from Nato countries in Ukraine.

Are relations between Russia and the US thawing? And are we on the brink of a deal? We speak to the BBC world affairs editor, John Simpson.

And, President Trump has said he wants access to Ukraine’s rare minerals. But what exactly are they? We speak to Dr Julie Klinger, author of Rare Earth Frontiers: From Terrestrial Subsoils to Lunar Landscapes.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

You can join our Newscast online community here: https://discord.gg/NbuxWnmY

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#Ukraine #Russia #BBCNews