Shafaq News/ Senior US and Russian officials will meet in SaudiArabia in the coming days to explore pathwaystoward ending Moscow’s nearly three-year war in Ukraine.
The discussions, aimed at laying thegroundwork for a potential peace summit involving US President Donald Trump,Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy,will proceed without Ukraine or its European allies at the table—a decisionthat has raised alarm in Western capitals.
US Representative Michael McCaul, speakingon the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, told Reuters that USSecretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and WhiteHouse Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff are set to travel to the Gulf nation forthe talks. Moscow has not disclosed which officials it will send.
The exclusion of Kyiv andEuropean partners from the initial phase has fueled concerns about theirmarginalization in a settlement process that could reshape securityarrangements in the region. Zelenskiy has insisted Ukraine will not engagedirectly with Russia without first consulting its allies.
The move also stoked fears inEurope after Trump, who took office on January 20, held separate calls withPutin and Zelenskiy last week. Trump has vowed to swiftly end the conflict buthas signaled a shift in US diplomacy, prioritizing direct engagement withMoscow.
On Saturday, Trump’s Ukraineenvoy, Keith Kellogg, reinforced European unease, confirming that Westernallies would not be part of the Saudi talks.
The US State Departmentdeclined to comment on the planned negotiations, though a source familiar withthe process told Reuters the talks are expected to begin next week. Rubio,meanwhile, held a separate call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov onSaturday. Moscow’s Foreign Ministry said both sides agreed to maintain contactto prepare for a meeting between Trump and Putin.
Zelenskiy confirmed plans tovisit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye in the coming weeks.However, he ruled out any meetings with US or Russian officials during the trips.
Shifting Battlefield,Diverging Demands
The war has entered a grindingphase, with Russian forces controlling roughly a fifth of Ukraine’s territoryand making slow advances in the east. Kyiv is grappling with manpower shortagesas it seeks to repel Russian attacks near the border and hold gains insidewestern Russia.
Moscow has maintained that anysettlement must see Ukraine cede occupied territories and adopt neutrality.Kyiv, however, demands a full Russian withdrawal and has pushed for NATO membershipor equivalent security guarantees.
The United States and Europeanallies have provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine.Trump has voiced continued support for Kyiv but stressed the need for stricteroversight of US financial assistance.
Parallel to the peaceovertures, Washington and Kyiv are negotiating an investment agreement thatcould grant US companies a 50% stake in Ukraine’s critical minerals sector.Zelenskiy has voiced concerns over the draft deal, saying it lacks adequatesecurity assurances.
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