By Jonathan Landay and Steve Holland, Reuters
US national security adviser Mike Waltz (L), White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R). Photo: AFP
Senior officials from US President Donald Trump's administration will start peace talks with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, according to a US lawmaker and a source familiar with the planning.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US national security adviser Mike Waltz and White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Saudi Arabia, US Representative Michael McCaul told Reuters in Munich.
A source with knowledge of the plans confirmed the talks.
Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022. Russia occupies around a fifth of Ukraine and has demanded Kyiv cede territory and become permanently neutral under any peace deal.
Ukraine demands Russia withdraw from captured land and wants NATO membership or equivalent security guarantees to prevent Moscow from attacking again.
Rubio held a phone call on Saturday with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and discussed the conflict in Ukraine, both parties said. They agreed on regular contacts to prepare for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump, Russia's Foreign Ministry said.
McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said it was his understanding that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had been invited to participate in the Saudi talks.
McCaul said the talks were aimed at arranging a meeting with Trump, Putin and Zelensky "to finally bring peace and end this conflict."
When asked about the planned meeting between US and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, Zelensky - in Germany for the Munich Security Conference - told reporters: "Maybe there is something (on) the table, but not on our table. I didn't see any invitations ... (for) Ukraine to meet with some other envoys."
Zelensky said Ukraine would never accept any peace deals reached behind its back (file photo). Photo: HANDOUT / AFP
He said it would be strange for him to speak with US and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia "if before we [haven't] had any negotiation between us and our strategic partners. As I remember, Russia is not our strategic partner."
Zelensky said on Friday he would visit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, but did not say when. However, the Ukrainian leader said he had no plans to meet with US or Russian officials during those visits.
Zelensky said earlier on Saturday that Ukraine would never accept any peace deals reached behind its back or without Kyiv's involvement. Ukraine has repeatedly said it wants to come together with the United States and Europe to devise a joint strategy before any Trump-Putin meeting.
Trump's unilateral overture to Putin on Wednesday, accompanied by apparent concessions on Ukraine's principal demands, raised alarm for both Kyiv and the European allies in NATO who said they feared the White House might make a deal without them.
European officials took an exceptionally firm line, saying any agreement would be impossible to implement unless they and the Ukrainians were included in negotiating it.
Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, said Ukraine would have a seat at the table during any peace negotiations with Russia over ending the war.
Negotiations on a critical minerals deal continued, with Zelensky saying a draft from Washington did not contain the security provisions that Kyiv needed. Three sources said the United States had proposed taking ownership of 50 percent of Ukraine's critical minerals.
- Reuters
