The US and Russia will meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine was not invited to the negotiations.
Reuters - U.S. and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to begin talks aimed at ending Moscow's nearly three-year war in Ukraine, a U.S. lawmaker and a source familiar with the planning said on Saturday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who met with US Vice President JD Vance in Germany on Friday, said Ukraine was not invited to the negotiations in Saudi Arabia and that Kyiv would not engage with Russia before consulting strategic partners.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Saudi Arabia, U.S. Representative Michael McCaul told Reuters. It was not immediately clear who they would meet with from Russia.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, McCaul said the aim of the negotiations was to arrange a meeting between US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Zelensky "to finally bring peace and end this conflict."
A source familiar with the plans confirmed the planned talks in Saudi Arabia between U.S. and Russian officials. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump, who took office on January 20, has repeatedly promised to end the war in Ukraine quickly. He made separate phone calls to Putin and Zelensky on Wednesday, leaving Washington's European allies alarmed that they will be cut off from any peace process.
These fears were largely confirmed on Saturday when Trump's envoy to Ukraine said that Europe will not have a seat at the table, after Washington sent a questionnaire to European capitals asking what they could contribute to guaranteeing Kiev's security.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that a draft minerals deal with Washington lacked the security provisions that Kyiv needed.
MINERAL BUSINESS Earlier on Saturday, Rubio spoke with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. They agreed to regular contact to prepare for a meeting between Putin and Trump, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Zelensky said on Friday that he would visit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, but did not say when. However, the Ukrainian leader said he had no plans to meet with US or Russian officials during those visits.
Moscow controls a fifth of Ukraine and has been slowly advancing in the east for months, while Kiev's smaller army faces manpower shortages and tries to hold onto a piece of territory in western Russia.
Russia has demanded that Kyiv cede territory and become permanently neutral under any peace agreement. Ukraine demands that Russia withdraw from captured lands and wants NATO membership or equivalent security guarantees to prevent attacks from Moscow.
The United States and Europe have given Ukraine tens of billions of dollars in military aid since the war began. Trump has said he supports Ukraine but is seeking security for US funding to Kyiv.
The US and Ukraine are currently negotiating an agreement that could open Ukraine's vast natural wealth to US investment. Three sources said the US has proposed taking ownership of 50% of Ukraine's critical minerals. Zelensky said on Saturday that the draft agreement did not contain the security provisions that Kiev needed.
