High-level negotiations between U.S. and Russian officials will take place in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, with discussions focused on ending the war in Ukraine. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that his country was not invited to participate in the talks. European nations will also be excluded from the meeting, according to multiple reports.
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
National security adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to attend on behalf of the United States. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other unnamed Russian officials will represent Moscow. Rubio and Lavrov spoke by phone on Saturday ahead of the meeting, setting the stage for broader negotiations between their governments.
🇪🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦🚨‼️ 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
President Donald Trump has pledged to resolve the conflict quickly and recently spoke with both Putin and Zelensky by phone. On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul indicated that the goal of the upcoming talks is to arrange a future summit between Trump, Putin, and Zelensky.
Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, had strong words for European allies who were left out of the meeting. He called on them to “come up with concrete proposals” instead of focusing on their exclusion from the talks. Meanwhile, U.S. officials reportedly sent European leaders a questionnaire asking what security commitments they could make to Ukraine.
Vice President J.D. Vance, while traveling in Europe, held a face-to-face meeting with Zelensky, calling the conversation “fruitful.” He reaffirmed the Trump administration’s commitment to establishing “a durable, lasting peace” in the region.
Moscow currently holds about 20% of Ukraine’s territory and has been advancing in the east for months. Russia has demanded Ukraine remain neutral and cede land, while Kyiv insists on regaining all occupied areas and securing NATO membership. The U.S. and Ukraine are also negotiating a deal involving American investment in Ukraine’s mineral resources, though Zelensky has voiced concerns about the terms of the agreement.
