Abdelrahman
Kyiv has reportedly not received an invitation to participate in discussions between the United States and Russia aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to a senior official in the Ukrainian government who spoke to the BBC.
Despite earlier statements by US special envoy Keith Kellogg indicating that Ukraine would take part in the talks scheduled for Monday in Saudi Arabia, the source confirmed that no Ukrainian delegation would be involved in the negotiations.
Additionally, leaders from Europe have also not been invited to these discussions. Instead, they are set to convene in Paris on the same day for a summit organized at short notice by French President Emmanuel Macron, amid concerns that Europe might be sidelined in the peace process.
These separate meetings come in the wake of a turbulent week, during which the United States has indicated a significant shift in its approach to the war in Ukraine.
Steve Witkoff, the White House’s Middle East envoy, confirmed he was heading to Saudi Arabia for the initial face-to-face discussions between US and Russian officials about ending the conflict. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz are expected to meet with Russian negotiators just days after US President Donald Trump resuming direct communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a contact that had been dormant for three years.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected any peace agreement reached without Ukraine’s involvement. In an interview with NBC, he stated unequivocally that he would never accept decisions made solely by the United States and Russia regarding Ukraine’s future.
Witkoff mentioned that US officials are engaging separately with Ukrainian representatives as part of the ongoing talks, yet he did not clarify if Ukraine would attend the discussions in Saudi Arabia.
Rubio downplayed the significance of the talks in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing that a single meeting cannot resolve the war and noting that a formal mediation process involving Ukraine, Russia, and other stakeholders is still lacking.
He further stated to CBS News that the upcoming days would be critical in assessing whether Putin is genuinely seeking peace.
Against this backdrop, a coalition of European leaders, including UK’s Keir Starmer, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, will gather in Paris. A statement shared with CBS News confirms that Macron will lead an informal meeting in the afternoon focused on Ukraine and European security. However, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot cautioned that the summit should not be exaggerated in importance.
Kellogg dismissed concerns about Europe’s exclusion from the Saudi Arabian talks, arguing that previous negotiations faltered due to the involvement of too many parties. He described the situation candidly, stating that while it may seem uncomfortable, it reflects a necessary honesty.
This series of meetings indicates an acceleration in Trump’s efforts to swiftly conclude the conflict. The White House indicated that Trump had a lengthy call with Putin on Wednesday, after which he asserted that discussions aimed at ending what he termed the “ridiculous war” in Ukraine would commence immediately. He also remarked that it was unrealistic for Ukraine to join NATO and “unlikely” for the country to revert to its pre-invasion borders from 2014.
Ukraine has consistently advocated for NATO membership and has opposed any territorial concessions as part of a peace settlement. Trump’s viewpoint has been echoed by his defense secretary, raising fears among European nations that the US could make concessions to Russia without a formal peace agreement in place.
Furthermore, Pete Hegseth noted that European countries should bear a greater share of the financial burden for Ukraine, asserting that the US would no longer accept an imbalanced relationship with its allies. Vice-President JD Vance similarly urged European nations to significantly enhance their defense efforts during his address at the Munich Security Conference, where he largely criticized European democracies.
Zelensky called for the establishment of a European army, emphasizing that Europe could no longer rely solely on the US for its security needs. Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine persisted, with Zelensky reporting that a Russian offensive left over 100,000 people in Mykolaiv without power. He indicated that residential areas were also left without heating following a drone attack on crucial infrastructure.
Since launching a comprehensive invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russia had previously annexed Crimea and portions of the eastern Donbas region in 2014.
