Officials from the U.S. and Russia are scheduled to hold a meeting in Saudi Arabia to initiate discussions aimed at ending Moscow’s almost three-year conflict in Ukraine, a U.S. lawmaker and a source familiar with the plans said on Saturday.
During a meeting in Germany on Friday with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy revealed that Ukraine had not been invited to the upcoming Saudi Arabia talks and would refrain from engaging with Russia until consultations with its strategic allies were completed.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff are set to visit Saudi Arabia, U.S. Representative Michael McCaul informed Reuters. The Russian officials they will meet have not been disclosed yet.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, McCaul outlined that the talks are intended to set up a summit involving U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Zelenskiy to ultimately resolve and end the ongoing conflict.
A well-informed source confirmed the upcoming discussions in Saudi Arabia between U.S. and Russian representatives.
Since his inauguration on January 20, Trump has committed to ending the war in Ukraine promptly. He contacted Putin and Zelenskiy separately on Wednesday, which caused concern among Washington’s European allies about being excluded from the peace negotiations.
These concerns were essentially validated when Trump’s envoy to Ukraine declared on Saturday that European nations would not be involved in the negotiations, following Washington’s distribution of a questionnaire to European capitals inquiring about their potential contributions to security assurances for Kyiv.
Earlier that day, Rubio had a discussion with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, agreeing to maintain regular communication in preparation for a forthcoming meeting between Putin and Trump, as stated by Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
Zelenskiy announced on Friday his intentions to visit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, although he did not specify the dates. He also mentioned that he does not plan to meet with any U.S. or Russian officials during these trips.
Russia, holding control over a fifth of Ukraine, continues to make slow progress in the east, while Kyiv’s smaller military force struggles with manpower shortages and attempts to defend a significant area in western Russia.
Russia insists that Kyiv must surrender territory and adopt a permanent neutral stance as part of any peace agreement. Conversely, Ukraine demands the withdrawal of Russian forces from its territory and seeks NATO membership or comparable security assurances to guard against future attacks by Moscow.
The U.S. and European nations have provided Ukraine with substantial military support, amounting to tens of billions of dollars since the conflict began. While Trump supports Ukraine, he is also pursuing measures to secure American funding for Kyiv.
Negotiations are underway between the U.S. and Ukraine regarding a deal that could potentially unlock significant U.S. investments in Ukraine’s vast natural resources.
According to three sources, the U.S. has proposed acquiring a 50% stake in Ukraine’s critical minerals. Zelenskiy commented on Saturday that the proposed agreement lacks the necessary security measures for Kyiv.
