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Zelensky described the development as a concrete step beyond diplomatic discussions, signaling a shift toward tangible international security cooperation.
The Kremlin is seeking continued access to the naval base in Tartus and the Khmeimim airbase, which have served as key military footholds in the region.
The summit will be held on the same day a U.S. delegation arrives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for talks with Russian officials on ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian forces launched 147 drones from the Russian cities of Orel, Bryansk, Kursk, Shatalovo, Millerovo, and Primosk-Akhtarsk at Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
Ukraine will "never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia" regarding the outcome of peace negotiation without Ukraine's participation, President Volodymyr Zelensky told NBC News in an interview published Feb. 16.
A large fire reportedly erupted at the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai overnight on Feb. 17, following large-scale Ukrainian drone attacks on the region, Russian Telegram media channels reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 16 that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin "wants to stop fighting" Russia's war in Ukraine, dismissing Moscow's territorial ambitions in the embattled country.
The delegation, led by State Secretary Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, is set to begin negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed that Zelensky would have a say in the process and mentioned the possibility of allowing European nations to purchase U.S.-made weapons for Ukraine.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on Feb. 16. that he did not take lightly the idea of placing British servicemen and women in harm’s way. "But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country," he added.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Finnish President Alexander Stubb has emphasized that Ukraine’s membership in the European Union and NATO is non-negotiable, adding that these alliances are essential for ensuring the country’s sovereignty and security.