U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Riyadh as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits UAE, both in anticipation of upcoming peace talks regarding the war in Ukraine. Reports suggest potential meetings involving Russian officials. Zelenskyy has expressed confusion about the Saudi meeting, while European leaders assert that Ukraine should be directly involved in negotiations between Trump and Putin.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Riyadh on Monday, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the UAE on Sunday. Both are in the region as peace talks aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine are expected to begin soon. Rubio is accompanied by U.S. officials, including National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, although details on his meetings remain undisclosed.
Reports from Russia’s Kommersant and U.S. media suggest that negotiations could commence on Tuesday, with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also likely visiting Riyadh. Rubio stated on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that peace requires more than just one phone call to resolve such a complex conflict, proposing that Donald Trump could play a key role in initiating the peace process.
Rubio emphasized the need for tangible actions in pursuing peace, saying, “I said yesterday that ‘peace’ is not a noun, it’s a verb. It’s an action.” His trip follows a call last week between Trump and Russian President Putin, who agreed to start negotiations immediately and planned a potential in-person meeting in Saudi Arabia.
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, expressed confusion over the meeting in Saudi Arabia, reiterating that while Kyiv was invited, he remains unsure about the specifics. Currently in the UAE, he expressed a desire to visit Saudi Arabia and Turkey but not to engage in meetings with U.S. or Russian officials.
At the Munich Security Conference, European leaders stressed the necessity for Ukraine’s involvement in any discussions between Trump and Putin. The EU is notably absent from the negotiations, prompting European leaders to convene in Paris for an emergency summit on security guarantees for Ukraine, as the role of Kyiv in these upcoming talks is still uncertain.
The arrival of Marco Rubio in Saudi Arabia alongside Zelenskyy’s visit to the UAE coincides with the anticipation of peace talks regarding the conflict in Ukraine. While the U.S. is working to initiate dialogue between Trump and Putin, Zelenskyy seeks clarity on his country’s role. European leaders emphasize the importance of Ukraine’s presence in negotiations, raising questions about the EU’s exclusion from discussions. The dynamics surrounding these talks underscore the complexities of resolving a multifaceted conflict and the key roles that various leaders play in the mediation process.
Original Source: www.politico.eu
