Abdelrahman
Three prominent foreign policy advisors from the Trump administration are scheduled to meet with Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia next week to explore potential solutions for concluding the ongoing war in Ukraine. This marks the first significant discussion between the two superpowers regarding the conflict.
This upcoming meeting follows less than a week after President Trump had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin. In the aftermath of that call, Trump informed the media that discussions aimed at ending Russia’s aggression in Ukraine would be held in Saudi Arabia. The details of next week’s meetings in Riyadh were shared with reporters on Saturday by a source who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of national security matters.
The meeting is likely to face backlash from several Ukrainian officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed on Thursday that his nation must be involved in any negotiations concerning its future, a comment he made after the announcement of the Trump-Putin conversation. Ukrainian officials are concerned that Trump may seek a resolution with Russia that lacks robust security protocols and sustainable terms for peace, as Ukraine continues to defend itself against a full-fledged Russian invasion that has persisted for three years.
The American officials anticipated to join the talks include Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State; Mike Waltz, the National Security Advisor; and Steve Witkoff, the Middle East envoy who also engages with Ukraine-Russia matters, according to the source.
When questioned about the possibility of Ukrainian representatives attending, the insider did not provide a response, indicating that Ukraine is unlikely to participate in the discussions, despite Trump’s claims earlier this week that Ukrainians would be involved in the talks in Saudi Arabia.
Recently, Rubio and Vice President JD Vance met with President Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, illustrating ongoing diplomatic interactions.
