U.S. and Russia Set to Discuss Ukraine Conflict in Saudi Arabia
MUNICH/WASHINGTON: Upcoming talks between U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia aim to address the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has been ongoing for nearly three years. This information was confirmed by a U.S. lawmaker and a source familiar with the arrangements on Saturday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who recently met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Germany, expressed that Ukraine was not invited to the Saudi discussions. He emphasized that any engagement with Russia would involve consultations with Ukraine’s strategic partners first.
Key U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, are set to travel to Saudi Arabia. However, it remains unclear who they will be meeting from the Russian side.
During the Munich Security Conference, Representative Michael McCaul stated the goal of these talks is to facilitate a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Zelenskiy, all in the pursuit of peace to resolve the conflict.
Possible Trump-Putin Summit in Saudi Arabia or UAE
A source familiar with the discussions confirmed the upcoming U.S.-Russian talks in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. State Department has not yet provided a comment.
President Trump has consistently pledged to quickly end the conflict in Ukraine. He had phone conversations with both Putin and Zelenskiy earlier in the week, which raised concerns among Washington’s European allies about potentially being excluded from the peace process.
These fears were further confirmed when Trump’s Ukraine envoy indicated that European nations may not be part of any negotiations, following a U.S. inquiry sent to European capitals regarding their potential contributions to security arrangements for Ukraine.
Ongoing Discussions and Ukraine’s Position
Earlier, Rubio spoke with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, agreeing to maintain regular communication in preparation for a meeting between Trump and Putin, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
Zelenskiy mentioned plans to visit the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, though he did not specify dates, and made it clear he would not meet with U.S. or Russian officials during those trips.
As the conflict continues, Russia occupies about one-fifth of Ukraine and has made slow advancements in the eastern regions. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military is facing challenges due to manpower shortages while attempting to defend its territory.
Russia is demanding that Ukraine yield territory and adopt a permanent neutral status as part of any peace agreement. Conversely, Ukraine insists on Russia withdrawing from occupied areas and seeks NATO membership or equivalent security guarantees to deter further Russian aggression.
Since the start of the war, the U.S. and European allies have provided Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in military support. Trump has expressed support for Ukraine but stresses the need for security measures in return for U.S. assistance.
Moreover, discussions are underway between the U.S. and Ukraine about a potential deal that could open Ukraine’s natural resources to U.S. investments. Reportedly, the U.S. has proposed owning 50% of Ukraine’s critical minerals, although Zelenskiy mentioned that the current draft lacks essential security assurances needed by Kyiv.
