Egypt Daily News – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Riyadh meeting surprised Kyiv and is not binding, adding that Ukraine is not concerned with its outcomes. He emphasized, “We want the Americans to come to Kyiv for negotiations, not anywhere else.”
He also stressed the necessity of clear guarantees to end the war and achieve peace, affirming that Ukraine will not give up its territories or accept Russian occupation. Zelensky reiterated the importance of ending the war in a just manner.
Senior officials from the United States and Russia, including the foreign ministers of both countries, are holding talks to improve relations and negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. According to CNN, this meeting is considered the most significant between the two sides since the war between Russia and Ukraine began.
The talks taking place in Saudi Arabia represent another key step by the Trump administration in reversing the U.S. policy of isolating Russia, aiming to pave the way for a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
CNN also reported that this latest diplomatic push to end the war has prompted Ukraine and its key allies to scramble for a seat at the negotiation table, fearing that Washington and Moscow might proceed with an agreement that is not in their favor. In response, France has called for an emergency meeting of EU nations, while Britain has also urged discussions on how to respond.
The Russian delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs advisor. The U.S. delegation is led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Trump’s special envoy Steve Whitcoff, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department spokesperson.
