Ukraine talks to be held in Saudi Arabia

MUNICH/WASHINGTON — US and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to start talks aimed at ending the nearly three-year Russia-Ukraine conflict, a US lawmaker and a source familiar with the planning said on Saturday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who met with United States Vice-President JD Vance in Germany on Friday, said Ukraine was not invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia and Kyiv would not engage with Russia before consulting with strategic partners.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz and White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Saudi Arabia, US Representative Michael McCaul told Reuters. It was not immediately clear whom they would meet from Russia.

On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, McCaul said the aim of the talks was to arrange a meeting between US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky "to finally bring peace and end this conflict".

A source with knowledge of the plans confirmed the planned talks in Saudi Arabia between US and Russian officials, Reuters reported.

Trump made separate phone calls to Putin and Zelensky on Wednesday, leaving Washington's European allies alarmed they will be cut out of any peace process.

Those fears were largely confirmed on Saturday when Trump's Ukraine envoy said Europe would not have a seat at the table, after Washington sent a questionnaire to European capitals to ask what they could contribute to security guarantees for Kyiv.

French President Emmanuel Macron would host a meeting of European leaders on Monday to discuss the situation in Ukraine, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio on Sunday.

Five European diplomats said the meeting would include Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, Reuters reported.

Earlier on Saturday, Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. They agreed on regular contacts to prepare for a meeting between Putin and Trump, Russia's Foreign Ministry said.

Zelensky said on Friday he would visit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, but did not say when. He also said he had no plans to meet with US or Russian officials during those visits.

Agencies via Xinhua