U.S. and Russian officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to initiate talks aimed at resolving the nearly three-year-long conflict in Ukraine, according to a U.S. lawmaker and a source familiar with the plans. The discussions will focus on ending the war, but Ukrainian officials were not invited to participate in the talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Germany on Friday, confirmed that Ukraine would not engage with Russia directly before consulting with its strategic partners. Kyiv’s stance is clear: it will not enter talks without the support of its allies.
U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, are expected to travel to Saudi Arabia, as confirmed by U.S. Representative Michael McCaul. It is currently unclear who the Russian representatives at the meeting will be.
While attending the Munich Security Conference, McCaul mentioned that the goal of the talks was to arrange a high-level summit between U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Zelenskyy to help bring an end to the conflict.
A source familiar with the discussions confirmed that U.S. and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. State Department did not respond to requests for comment on the talks.
Since taking office in January, President Trump has promised to quickly end the war in Ukraine. He made separate phone calls to both Putin and Zelenskyy earlier this week, raising concerns among Washington’s European allies that they might be excluded from the peace process.
On Saturday, Trump’s Ukraine envoy stated that Europe would not have a seat at the negotiating table, following reports that Washington had sent a questionnaire to European capitals, asking what they could contribute to security guarantees for Ukraine.
Minerals Deal and Diplomatic Moves
Earlier, Rubio held discussions with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and the two agreed to maintain regular contacts to prepare for a potential meeting between Putin and Trump, as reported by Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
Zelenskyy, for his part, announced plans to visit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, although he clarified that he would not be meeting with U.S. or Russian officials during these trips.
Moscow currently controls a fifth of Ukrainian territory and has been advancing slowly in the east, while Ukraine’s smaller army faces manpower shortages and struggles to defend key regions in western Russia.
Russia has insisted that Ukraine cede territory and adopt permanent neutrality as part of any peace agreement, while Ukraine demands Russia withdraw from the territories it has occupied and seeks NATO membership or equivalent security guarantees to safeguard against future Russian aggression.
Since the war began, the U.S. and European nations have provided Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in military aid. While Trump has expressed support for Ukraine, he has emphasized the need for security measures before committing further U.S. funding.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and Ukraine are in negotiations regarding a deal that could unlock Ukraine’s vast natural resources for U.S. investment. According to sources, the U.S. has proposed taking ownership of 50% of Ukraine’s critical minerals. However, Zelenskyy indicated that the draft deal did not include the security provisions necessary for Kyiv’s long-term protection.
