Saks told Monday's "Aktuaalne kaamera" the talks in Saudi Arabia, which start today (February 18) will be serious.

"The Russian delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the president's foreign policy advisor Ushakov. I cannot even recall when these two men last traveled together to such an event. So, the talks are serious," said the former secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2015-2020).

"It is certainly a very delicate game where both sides are trying to achieve very specific goals. In Russia's case, the most important thing is undoubtedly that it wants to expand the range of topics addressed with the U.S. and to frame the talks as a dialogue or negotiations between equals, not just about Ukraine."

Saks said the first meeting will be quite decisive: "Will the U.S. perceive that Russia is trying to tie them to other issues, or will they manage to stay focused on Ukraine, as is the U.S. goal?"

He said it is crucial for Russia to be able to show that it can initiate negotiations with the U.S: "How this proceeds, we do not know. It depends on what the U.S. and Russia discuss or achieve at this first meeting."

"The U.S. has emphasized that, in reality, only Ukraine can negotiate this peace agreement. They have never said that they would negotiate it themselves. One thing is clear — peace cannot be concluded without Ukraine. That is a fact. Ukraine has the ability to exert strong pressure," Saks said.

"Ultimately, everything will be determined by how Ukrainian forces fight on the front lines in the coming weeks and how the situation develops. Europe's only way to intervene is by increasing its contribution to supporting Ukraine," the expert added.

Saks believes it is unlikely that a peace agreement will be reached quickly: "It is too complex for that."

He also told the show that even if Putin and Trump were to verbally agree on something in general terms, the process of formalizing, enforcing, and involving various parties would take a very long time.

"A great deal depends on how the frontline situation unfolds in the coming weeks. This dynamic will significantly influence the positions of both Russia and Ukraine," Saks concluded.

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