In an effort to initiate discussions aimed at ending the nearly three-year-long war in Ukraine, US and Russian officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia. A US lawmaker and a source familiar with the plan confirmed this information on Saturday, as reported by British news agency Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine was not invited to this discussion in Saudi Arabia and that Kyiv would not engage in talks with Russia without consulting its strategic partners. On Friday, Zelensky met with US Vice President J.D. Vance in Germany.
US Representative Michael McCaul told Reuters that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff would visit Saudi Arabia. However, it is still unclear who will represent Russia in the discussions.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, McCaul said that the goal of the talks is to organize a meeting between US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Zelensky to bring peace and end the conflict.
A source familiar with the plan confirmed the arrangement for US and Russian officials to meet in Saudi Arabia. The US State Department has not responded to requests for comment.
Since taking office on January 20, Trump has pledged to end the Ukraine war swiftly. On Wednesday, he held separate phone calls with Putin and Zelensky, which raised concerns among Washington’s European allies. They fear that Europe might be excluded from the peace process.
This concern became even more apparent on Saturday when Trump’s envoy for Ukraine stated that Europe would not be given a seat at the negotiations. Earlier, Washington had sent a questionnaire to European capitals asking what contributions they could make to ensure Kyiv’s security.
On Saturday, Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that they agreed to maintain regular communication to prepare for a meeting between Putin and Trump.
On Friday, Zelensky said he would visit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. However, he did not specify when he would travel. The Ukrainian leader also mentioned that he had no plans to meet with US or Russian officials during his trip.