US and Russia Officials to Meet in Saudi Arabia for Ukraine Peace Talks
Officials from the United States and Russia are set to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, as reported by multiple sources.
Expected to attend the meeting are National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The meeting with senior Russian officials is scheduled to take place next week, according to Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned that Ukraine has not been invited to participate in the negotiations, as reported by The Guardian.
European powers will also not be part of the talks, according to Reuters.
A phone call between Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov took place on Saturday in preparation for the upcoming meetings, which will address issues beyond Ukraine, reports say.
During the Munich Security Conference, President Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, criticized European leaders for not actively engaging in the debate and coming up with concrete proposals.
Vice President JD Vance recently met with Zelensky during his visit to Europe, describing the conversation as fruitful and emphasizing the administration’s commitment to achieving lasting peace in Europe.
Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed doubts about Ukraine returning to its pre-2014 borders with Russia and becoming a NATO member.
In a recent phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, both leaders committed to visiting each other’s nations.
The last sitting US president to visit Russia was Barack Obama in 2013 during the G-20 Economic Summit. Obama visited Russia twice, while his predecessor George Bush visited seven times.
