U.S. and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to begin negotiations aimed at ending Moscow’s nearly three-year war in Ukraine, a U.S. lawmaker and a source familiar with the planning confirmed on Saturday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Germany on Friday, stated that Ukraine was not invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia and that Kyiv would not engage with Russia before consulting with its strategic partners.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and White House Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Saudi Arabia, according to U.S. Representative Michael McCaul. However, it remains unclear who they will meet from the Russian delegation.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, McCaul stated that the objective of these talks is to arrange a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Zelenskiy “to finally bring peace and end this conflict.”
A source familiar with the plans confirmed the negotiations between U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, while the U.S. State Department has yet to comment on the matter.
Trump, who took office on January 20, has repeatedly vowed to swiftly end the Ukraine war. On Wednesday, he held separate phone calls with both Putin and Zelenskiy, raising concerns among Washington’s European allies that they might be excluded from any peace process.
These fears were largely validated on Saturday when Trump’s Ukraine envoy announced that Europe would not have a seat at the table. This followed Washington’s decision to send a questionnaire to European capitals, inquiring about their potential contributions to Kyiv’s security guarantees.
Minerals Deal Under Discussion
On Saturday, Rubio also spoke with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. According to Russia’s Foreign Ministry, both sides agreed to maintain regular contact in preparation for a meeting between Putin and Trump.
Zelenskiy stated on Friday that he plans to visit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey but did not specify when. However, he clarified that he had no plans to meet with U.S. or Russian officials during these visits.
Moscow currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine and has been making slow advances in the east for months, while Ukraine’s smaller army struggles with manpower shortages and tries to maintain its hold on a portion of western Russia.
Russia demands that Kyiv cede territory and remain permanently neutral under any peace deal, while Ukraine insists that Russia must withdraw from occupied lands and seeks NATO membership or equivalent security guarantees to prevent future aggression from Moscow.
Since the war began, the U.S. and Europe have provided Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in military aid. Trump has stated that he supports Ukraine but is seeking security guarantees for continued U.S. funding.
Currently, the U.S. and Ukraine are negotiating a deal that could open up Ukraine’s vast natural resources to American investment. According to three sources, the U.S. has proposed acquiring a 50% stake in Ukraine’s critical minerals. However, Zelenskiy stated on Saturday that the draft agreement does not include the security assurances Kyiv requires.
