In a significant diplomatic move, U.S. and Russian officials are scheduled to convene in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to advance discussions aimed at concluding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as reported by various news outlets.

Among the attendees, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to take part in the talks with senior Russian officials next week, according to Reuters.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concern that his country has not been included in the negotiations, as noted by The Guardian.

Reports indicate that European nations are also being left out of these discussions, according to Reuters.

Before the formal meetings, Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had a telephone conversation on Saturday, which will pave the way for broader negotiations regarding Ukraine and beyond.

At the Munich Security Conference, Keith Kellogg, special envoy for Ukraine under President Trump, criticized European leaders, urging them to actively engage in the debate instead of merely lamenting their absence from the negotiations. He called for concrete proposals and increased defense spending from European nations.

Vice President JD Vance recently had his first in-person meeting with President Zelensky during his ongoing visit to Europe.

Following his conversation with Zelensky, Vance described the discussion as “productive,” reiterating the Trump administration’s dedication to achieving a sustainable peace in Europe.

Recently, both Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that it appears unlikely for Ukraine to revert to its pre-2014 boundaries with Russia and that NATO membership remains a contentious issue in both national and global politics.

In a separate development last week, Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, resulting in a mutual agreement for both leaders to visit each other’s countries.

The last U.S. president to visit Russia was Barack Obama in 2013, during the G-20 Economic Summit. Obama made two trips to Russia, while his predecessor, George W. Bush, visited the country seven times.