Diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine will continue in Saudi Arabia, where U.S. and Russian officials are expected to hold talks. The meeting will take place without Ukrainian or European participation, a decision that has drawn criticism from Kyiv and its allies.
https://twitter.com/Megatron_ron/status/189110794197497892
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
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will lead the U.S. delegation. They will meet with senior Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Rubio and Lavrov spoke by phone ahead of the meeting, though details of their discussion were not disclosed.
🇪🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦🚨‼️ 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
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that his government was not invited. He stated that Ukraine would not engage in negotiations with Moscow unless its strategic partners were consulted first. European governments will also be absent from the talks, despite their ongoing support for Ukraine.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he intends to bring the conflict to an end and has spoken separately with both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul noted that the goal of the Saudi Arabia talks is to lay the groundwork for a potential summit involving Trump, Putin, and Zelensky.
Meanwhile, Vice President J.D. Vance met with Zelensky in Germany, where they discussed the ongoing conflict. Vance described their conversation as “fruitful” and reiterated Washington’s push for a long-term resolution.
As discussions continue, Russia maintains control of roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory. Moscow has insisted that any agreement must include Kyiv remaining neutral, while Ukraine continues to push for full territorial restoration and stronger security guarantees.
