United States: US and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss a potential peace deal for Ukraine, but Ukrainian representatives were not present.
The talks, led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, focused on creating a framework for peace in Ukraine, including a ceasefire, elections in Ukraine, and a formal peace agreement. They also discussed the possibility of organizing a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that Rubio’s team also agreed to work on cooperation with Russia on other issues beyond Ukraine. High-level teams will be assigned to explore ways to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Reports from foreign diplomats suggest that pushing Ukraine to hold new elections may be a key part of any peace deal. Both the US and Russia are said to doubt that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could win re-election, as per Fox News.
“Putin believes there is a high chance of installing a president who would be more willing to negotiate and make concessions,” said diplomatic sources after the meeting.
Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania and head of the House Ukraine Caucus, strongly opposed the idea of forcing elections on Ukraine and expressed his opposition on social media.
President Zelenskyy has made it clear that Ukraine will not accept any peace terms negotiated solely by the US and Russia without Ukraine’s involvement. Trump has promised that Ukraine will be a key part of the peace process. After learning about the talks, Zelenskyy cut short his trip to the Middle East and decided to return to Kyiv instead of going to Saudi Arabia.
Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, stressed that the Riyadh talks are more about “building trust” than focusing on the details of a peace agreement.
In a phone call last week, Zelenskyy told Trump not to trust Putin, according to Fox News.
“I told him [Putin] is a liar,” Zelenskyy said. “Trump said, ‘I think he’s ready for negotiations,’ but I told him, ‘No, he’s a liar. He doesn’t want peace.’”
Despite his strong stance, Zelenskyy believes Putin might be “a little scared” of Trump.
European leaders were notably absent from the talks, which stands out considering the harsh criticism Vice President JD Vance gave European allies at the Munich Security Conference last week.
Some European leaders, like UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer, have expressed willingness to send British troops to Ukraine as part of a peace deal, according to reports by Fox News.
“I don’t say this lightly,” Starmer wrote in the Daily Telegraph. “I feel the deep responsibility that comes with sending British troops into danger.”
“However, any role in ensuring Ukraine’s security helps protect the security of our continent and our nation,” he added.
