US, Russia Holding Ukraine War Talks In Saudi Arabia Without Kyiv Or European Allies
U.S. and Russian officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days for discussions aimed at ending the nearly three-year conflict in Ukraine, according to multiple reports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that his government had not been invited to participate, nor will European leaders be involved in the negotiations.
National security adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to represent the U.S. in the talks. Reuters reported that Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by phone on Saturday to prepare for the meeting, though it remains unclear which senior Russian officials will be in attendance.
🇺🇲🇷🇺 The US and Russia will begin negotiations in Saudi Arabia to end the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine and Europe are not invited and will not be asked for their opinion because nothing depends on them.
They have done their job as "useful idiots", and now they can only watch and… pic.twitter.com/4H5Fh970dM
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) February 16, 2025
On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul said the goal of the talks is to set up a direct meeting between President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Zelensky. Trump, who has pledged to end the war quickly, recently held separate phone calls with both Putin and Zelensky, sparking concern among European allies that they would be excluded from any peace negotiations.
Ukraine will not participate in the talks that the US and Russia will hold in the coming days in Saudi Arabia, because it is just an item on the agenda.
Ukraine must understand its irrelevance to world powers!— António Lopes (@AntnioL59095440) February 16, 2025
Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, made it clear that European nations would not be included, stating, “Get into the debate, not by complaining that you might, yes or no, be at the table, but by coming up with concrete proposals, ideas, ramp up spending.” The U.S. has reportedly asked European governments what security commitments they could offer Ukraine, but no direct role for them has been planned in the upcoming discussions.
Meanwhile, Vice President J.D. Vance met Zelensky in Germany on Friday for what he called a “fruitful” conversation, reiterating the administration’s commitment to achieving “a durable, lasting peace” in Europe.
🇪🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦🚨‼️ THE EU OPENLY SAYS THEY WILL SABOTAGE PEACE IN UKRAINE IF THEY’RE NOT AT THE TABLE.
Kallas: “if somebody agrees something and I mean, everybody else says ‘okay fine!’ you have agreed,but we will not follow this!”
-> EU’s position is “our importance” trumps any peace! pic.twitter.com/CMsYIpi6Q6
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) February 16, 2025
The negotiations come as Russia continues to control about one-fifth of Ukraine and presses its slow but steady advance in the east. Moscow has insisted that Kyiv surrender territory and remain neutral, while Ukraine demands a full Russian withdrawal and security guarantees, including NATO membership. The U.S. and Ukraine are also negotiating a deal that could open Ukraine’s vast mineral resources to American investment, though Zelensky has raised concerns that the draft agreement does not provide sufficient security assurances.