US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Saudi Arabia for a series of meetings, including talks Tuesday with Russian diplomats to end the war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is in the region on a state visit, said that Ukraine will not be part of the talks, as it was not notified. President Zelenskiy said that no agreement that is reached without Ukraine's involvement will be recognized.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Salman in Riyadh on the eve of talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
Mr. Rubio's visit to Riyadh was previously scheduled. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, who arrive later Monday, will also be part of the talks with Russia. These are the first high-level in-person talks between American and Russian officials in years and are intended to precede a meeting between the US president and the Russian leader.
Trump and Putin agreed in a phone call last week to immediately begin peace negotiations. But Secretary Rubio said in an interview with CBS News aired Sunday that "the peace process is not a matter of one meeting."
"We will see in the coming days and weeks whether President Vladimir Putin is interested in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, on a path that is sustainable and just," Rubio said.
The Kremlin announced that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Putin's foreign policy adviser will travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday. He said the meetings will aim to prepare for possible negotiations on a deal on Ukraine and arrange a meeting between the two presidents.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is also in the region. He will be in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, part of a state visit that he said was planned earlier and was unrelated to the US-Russia talks. President Zelenskiy said Kiev had not been informed of the talks and insisted that Ukraine must be included in any discussions on the country's future going forward.
"Ukraine will not participate because it was not aware of the talks. For Ukraine, talks without its participation have no result, and we do not recognize any agreement without our involvement," said President Zelenskiy.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking in Moscow on the eve of the talks, criticized Europe, which, according to him, does not want an end to the conflict.
"The European perspective has not led us anywhere, so I don't know what Europe can do at the negotiating table. If they are devising schemes to freeze the conflict, while they want it to continue, why should we invite them to talks?!" said Mr. Lavrov.
Russia currently controls about 20 percent of Ukraine's internationally recognized territory, including Crimea, which it unilaterally annexed in 2014. VOA (A2 Televizion)
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