NewsUkraine excluded from US-Russia talks on peace in Saudi Arabia

Ukraine excluded from US‑Russia talks on peace in Saudi Arabia

- We cannot recognise any agreements or decisions made about us without us. And we will not recognise such agreements - stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Volodymyr Zelensky in UAE
Volodymyr Zelensky in UAE
Images source: © PAP | PAP/EPA/Presidential Press Service HANDOUT
Tomasz Waleński

- Ukraine will not participate. Ukraine knew nothing about this. Ukraine considers any negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine to be meaningless. We cannot recognise any agreements or decisions made about us without us. And we will not recognise such agreements, - Zelensky told reporters during a visit to the United Arab Emirates.

The president emphasized that his official visit to Saudi Arabia, planned for Tuesday, "has nothing to do with what is happening in Saudi Arabia at the level of U.S. and Russian representatives."

Talks with the USA in Saudi Arabia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential advisor Yuri Ushakov will participate in talks with U.S. representatives in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The meeting is expected to focus on rebuilding bilateral relations and preparations for possible peace talks regarding Ukraine, - he added.

Lavrov and Ushakov are heading to Riyadh on Monday.

The spokesman did not respond on Monday to the question of whether a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will take place in Saudi Arabia in February, as reported by Reuters.

On Monday, the American portal Axios, citing sources, reported that high-level talks between U.S. and Russian officials about ending the war in Ukraine are expected to take place in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

According to the portal, the American side is expected to be represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and the U.S. President’s envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.