US-Russia talks set in Saudi Arabia, Kyiv says “Ukraine will ‘never accept’ deal without participation”
Credit: RTE
High-level delegations from the US and Russia are set to meet Tuesday in Saudi Arabia for discussions aimed at ending the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, arrived in Riyadh on Monday, while the US will be represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
The meeting follows separate phone calls last week between US President Donald Trump, Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as part of Washington’s push for a resolution to the war.
However, Ukraine was not invited to the talks, a move that Zelenskyy strongly condemned. “Ukraine will never accept” any deal made without its participation, he declared.
As the talks take place, Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara to discuss bilateral relations, developments in Ukraine, and broader global issues.
Meanwhile, European leaders gathered in Paris on Monday at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss transatlantic relations, Ukraine’s situation, potential peace negotiations, and security in Europe.
Tensions between the US and Europe have risen after Trump bypassed European leaders in his direct negotiations with Putin over Ukraine.
At the Munich Security Conference, Trump’s special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, confirmed that European nations would be excluded from upcoming US-Russia peace talks.
