What was the significance of the meetings between US and Russian officials regarding the Ukraine conflict?

The meetings represented a historic breakthrough as the first high-level talks between US and Russian officials in years about the Ukraine war. US officials Rubio, Walt, and Witkoff emphasized this was the beginning of a process, acknowledging complaints about Ukrainian absence but suggesting they would be included eventually. This diplomatic restart occurred amid contrasting narratives, with former President Trump controversially blaming Ukraine for starting the war – a view rejected by most observers who note that Russia was the invader. The meetings marked an important step in diplomatic engagement on this consequential conflict after years of non-communication.