US prepares talks with Russia on war in Ukraine: unclear whether Kyiv delegation will be there

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading a delegation to Saudi Arabia for direct talks with Russian officials in the coming days to stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to Associated Press.

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National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to attend talks in Riyadh over Russia's February 2022 invasion.

The administration said the talks are at an early stage and their progress remains uncertain, with the final composition of the participants subject to change.

On the subject: Trump Called Putin and Zelensky: Everyone Was Satisfied with the Conversations

The trip followed a phone call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, in which Trump said they “agreed to direct our teams to begin negotiations immediately.” The call reversed years of U.S. policy by ending Moscow’s isolation over the Feb. 24, 2022, invasion. Trump also spoke separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

It is unclear whether Ukrainian representatives will take part in the talks. A Ukrainian delegation is in Saudi Arabia to prepare for Zelensky's possible visit, a Ukrainian official said.

On February 16, Trump told reporters that Zelensky "will be involved," but did not specify what role he would play in the talks.

Zelensky has said he will not take part in any negotiations on Ukraine without representatives of his country present. European governments are also demanding to be involved.

Speaking on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures, Witkoff said he and Waltz are "meeting at the direction of the president" and hope to make "significant progress on Russia and Ukraine."

Ukraine's Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, the first deputy prime minister, did not specify whether Zelensky's possible trip to Saudi Arabia was linked to the previously announced U.S.-Russia talks. In a Facebook post, she said the Ukrainian delegation was focused on strengthening economic ties as Kyiv "prepares to sign important economic agreements with countries in the region."

She did not specify Zelensky's likely visit to Saudi Arabia or who he might meet with. Yulia Sviridenko's statement came a few hours after Witkoff announced upcoming high-level talks in Saudi Arabia.

Witkoff did not specify with whom exactly the meetings would take place and what issues would be discussed, but noted that he was leaving for Saudi Arabia on the evening of February 16.

Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s top adviser, said on February 16 that no meetings between Ukrainian and Russian representatives were planned in the near future. In a Telegram post, Yermak wrote that the Ukrainian side would not participate in the negotiations “until a plan is developed” to end the war and achieve a “just peace.”

Mykhailo Podolyak, another adviser to Zelensky, denied Ukraine’s participation in the planned US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia on February 15. “There is nothing on the agenda that is worth discussing,” he said in an interview with Ukrainian television.

Russian officials and state media reacted triumphantly to Trump's announcement that he would likely meet with Putin soon to discuss a peace deal on the war in Ukraine.

Trump's statement has caused a major diplomatic upheaval that could be a turning point for Ukraine and Europe.

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Since the start of the war, the West has isolated Putin. In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader.

In his television interview, Witkoff did not directly answer the question of whether Ukraine would have to cede "significant amounts" of its territory as part of a possible settlement of the conflict.

"These details are important, and I don't want to underestimate them. But I think that the first step is to build trust. It is important for all parties to understand that this war should not continue, that it must end. This is what the president has instructed us to do," he concluded.

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