The US and Russia confirmed that their top representatives will meet in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
High-ranking US and Russian officials held talks in Riyadh on Tuesday, striving to lay the foundation for peace negotiations, the US State Department and the Kremlin confirmed on Monday.
Yuri Ushakov, foreign policy adviser to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin, were scheduled to travel to the Saudi Arabian capital, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The State Department said it will meet envoys of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East Steve Witkoff.
The confirmation comes just days after President Donald Trump said he and Putin agreed to a call to begin negotiations to end the war.
Trump’s push for bilateral talks with Moscow has made Ukraine and its European allies wary of what locations they will have at the negotiation table.
It also spurs concerns that the US president could make concessions to Russia, which could undermine European security architecture and defense partnership with the US.
Peskov said this week’s meeting in Saudi Arabia would be “dedicated to the possibility of negotiations on the Ukrainian resolution and organizing the meeting between the two presidents.”
Following reports that Trump could meet Putin in Saudi Arabia, Republican leaders said such meetings could happen “quickly” over the weekend.
Reuters news agency cited Peskov reported that Tuesday’s meeting will focus on “a recovery of the entire Russian-American relations complex.”
Russian sovereign wealth fund chief Kiril Dmitriev will also be taking part in the meeting.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said Tuesday’s meeting would attempt to launch a broader conversation, “including Ukraine and accompanied by an end of the war.”
“The process for peace isn’t just one meal,” he told US television network CBS on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelensky said Ukraine would not take part in the Saudi Arabia-based consultations or would not approve any potential agreements reached in Kiev’s absence.
However, Zelensky said he would visit Saudi Arabia separately on Wednesday, and said he planned to ask Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the latest in consultations.
Turkish officials said Zelensky will visit Turkier on Tuesday at the invitation of President Receptacle Tayyip Erdogan.
In a statement on X, Turkish government spokesman Farrettin Altun discusses how Zelensky and Erdogan can improve cooperation and bilateral relations, the latest developments in Ukraine, and regional and global issues He said that.
A report from the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford said there was “real concern” among Ukrainian leaders that they were on the sidelines.
“There is a progressive perception that reality is changing now, and he said Ukraine’s return to its prewar border is unrealistic.
Alarms among European leaders
Meanwhile, European leaders were scheduled to meet in Paris to discuss their reaction to Washington’s shocking policy changes to Ukraine, where Kiev and its European allies are on the sidelines.
European Commission’s Ursula von der Leyen said Europe’s security lies at the “turning point.”
“Yes, it’s about Ukraine, but it’s about us too,” she said when she arrived at the emergency meeting. “We need an urgent mindset. We need a surge in defense. And we need both now.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tass said he would urge Paris European leaders to “quickly” increase European defenses.
“We cannot effectively support Ukraine without immediately taking practical steps in terms of our own defensive capabilities,” Task told reporters before flying to Paris.
“If it’s Europe and is the fact of today, if it can’t counter Russia’s military potential, then we need to catch up soon.”
Trump announced he intends to speak directly about “Ukrainian peace” with Putin, who unleashed a full-scale invasion of nearby Ukraine three years ago. US officials confirmed they do not expect Europe to be involved over the weekend.
Reported from Paris, Al Jazeera’s Natachabatler said there was a “real sense of urgency” among European leaders gathered in the French capital.
“It’s become clear that the transatlantic partnership is no longer strong,” Butler said. “They believe the US has already resigned and are very afraid that the agreement between Trump and Putin could have an impact on the future of European security. ”
Kremlin spokesman Peskov suggests that Moscow is happy with Trump’s approach and says that debate over Europe’s participation in talks about Ukrainian settlements is premature.
Lavrov also accused him of hoping to “continue the war” in Ukraine, saying he had no reason to take part in the ceasefire talks.
“I don’t know what they’re going to do at the negotiation table,” he said at a press conference in Moscow. “If they’re going to sit at the negotiation table with the aim of continuing the war, why would you invite them there?”
Before the informal summit in France, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Alvarez said European leaders would discuss how peace negotiations would prevent rewarding Russian invasions.
“An offensive war cannot be rewarded. We cannot encourage others to launch a war of offensive,” he said in an interview with Onda Cero’s radio station. “Today, I am sure Putin will continue to attack and bomb Ukraine, so I have not seen peace on the horizon at this time.”
Last week, senior European Union officials for European foreign and security policy warned Trump against the “contract behind” on the back of Ukraine or Europe, accusing him of “easing it away.”
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