While U.S. officials characterized the talks as the first step in a peace deal, the Russians are portraying them as a way to end Moscow’s isolation.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he and his Russian counterpart agreed to put together teams to negotiate a Ukraine ceasefire.

LONDON -- Russia launched an unusually large drone attack on Ukraine overnight into Tuesday, shortly before Moscow's representatives opened talks with a U.S. delegation in Saudi Arabia on ending Russia's three-year full-scale invasion of Ukraine.