US and Russia to Hold Talks in Saudi Arabia

Senior US and Russian officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss the war in Ukraine, according to reports from Reuters and Politico.

The discussions, which have not been officially acknowledged by the US State Department, are reportedly aimed at initiating negotiations to end the ongoing Russia’s war.

According to Politico, US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Saudi Arabia for the talks.

The chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, confirmed that the goal of the negotiations is to arrange a meeting between US President Donald Trump, Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Sources familiar with the plans indicated that Ukraine had been invited to participate in the discussions. However, according to The Guardian, Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv had not received an official invitation, reinforcing concerns that the US may be sidelining Ukraine and European allies in the talks. There are currently no confirmed plans for a Ukrainian delegation to attend.

Reuters, citing a US lawmaker and an anonymous source familiar with the situation, reported that the details of the meeting, including the Russian delegation’s composition, remain unclear.

Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will not recognize any agreements between the US and Russia on ending the war if Ukraine is not involved, emphasizing that such negotiations must not follow Putin’s plan of direct US-Russia talks.