Abdelrahman
Marco Rubio’s Middle East Tour: Engaging Saudi Arabia on Gaza and Ukraine
Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday as part of his whirlwind Middle East visit, focusing on the critical issues surrounding Gaza and Ukraine. His trip comes amid growing concerns that the Trump administration has been making unilateral decisions without adequate consultation with key international partners regarding the conflicts in these regions.
The Saudi embassy in Washington confirmed that Rubio held discussions with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, with an anticipated meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later in the day. Traveling to Riyadh from Israel, Rubio was expected to urge Saudi leadership to articulate a strategic vision for post-conflict Gaza. The controversial proposal by President Trump, which involves significant demographic changes and occupation in Gaza, has sparked extensive backlash across the Arab world, including in Saudi Arabia itself. In light of this, Rubio and other U.S. officials are advocating for Arab leaders to offer alternative solutions.
Additionally, Rubio is scheduled to meet with Russian officials in Riyadh on Tuesday to explore the future of the conflict in Ukraine. He will be joined by key U.S. officials including National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy for the Middle East, who also addresses Ukraine-Russia matters, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
This visit follows criticism directed at Trump for unilaterally discussing Ukraine’s future with Russian President Vladimir Putin, causing frustration among European allies. The Trump administration has explicitly stated that European governments will not be involved in forthcoming negotiations, despite the war occurring so close to their territories.
These developments have raised alarms in Ukraine and across Europe, where leaders express fears of being excluded from discussions that will shape their nations’ futures. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized in a recent interview that his country would "never" accept any peace agreement made between the U.S. and Russia without Ukraine’s participation in the dialogue.
