U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to engage in discussions with Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia in the near future, with the goal of fostering peace in Ukraine, according to U.S. officials.

Joining Rubio will be national security adviser Mike Waltz and U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, as confirmed by officials speaking to CBS News, a partner of the BBC.

Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, stated that the negotiations will include representatives from Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv; however, European nations have not received invitations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also expressed that Kyiv was not included in the Saudi discussions.

While European allies of Ukraine are expressing unease at the U.S. proceeding with peace talks with Russia independently, they will convene in Paris next week for an urgent summit focusing on the ongoing conflict.

Kellogg noted on Saturday that past negotiations had faltered due to the excessive number of participants involved.

“It may be uncomfortable, but I assure you, this is an honest assessment,” Kellogg remarked.

On the same day, Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, underscoring President Donald Trump’s commitment to resolving the conflict in Ukraine, as stated by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

This conversation followed a surprising phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, where direct communication with Moscow was renewed after a hiatus exceeding three years, alarming European allies.

Post-call, Trump asserted that discussions aimed at ending the “ridiculous war” in Ukraine would commence “immediately.”

The forthcoming talks in Saudi Arabia come after heightened tensions arose during the Munich Security Conference, where U.S. Vice President JD Vance delivered pointed critiques of European democracies on Friday.

Vance reinforced the Trump administration’s stance, urging Europe to take significant responsibility for its own defense.

Additionally, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to dismiss the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO or recovering all lost territories on Wednesday, raising European concerns about potential U.S. concessions to Russia prior to any peace settlement.

Since its comprehensive invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, following the annexation of Crimea and parts of eastern Donbas in 2014, tensions have remained high.

During the Munich conference, President Zelensky called for the establishment of an “army of Europe,” signaling worries that the U.S. might withdraw its support for the continent.

“We cannot ignore the possibility that America might decline to assist Europe on critical issues,” Zelensky stated.