Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov will fly to Saudi Arabia for talks with a U.S. delegation about how to end the war in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Feb. 17.
"They are expected to hold a meeting with their American counterparts on Tuesday, which will focus primarily on restoring the entire complex of Russian-American relations," Peskov said.
The U.S. delegation will be led by State Secretary Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
NBC News reported on Feb. 16, citing two U.S. officials, that the intention is for the U.S. to host a bilateral meeting with Russia, followed by a bilateral meeting with Ukraine, and culminating with talks together.
U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed on Feb. 16 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.
Rubio echoed similar comments stating that Ukraine and Europe must play a role in serious negotiations with the U.S. and Russia to end the war.
Bloomberg reported on Feb. 15 that the talks in Saudi Arabia will only include U.S. and Russian officials as a means to pave the way for a potential leaders’ summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month.
The upcoming meetings come amid an official visit by Zelensky to the United Arab Emirates, with planned trips to Saudi Arabia and Turkey in the coming days.
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