Riyadh: Negotiations are going to be held in Saudi Arabia between US and Russian officials to end the Ukraine war, but Ukraine has not been included in these negotiations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated after meeting US Vice President JD Vance in Germany that Ukraine has not been invited to the talks and that he will consult with his strategic allies before any talks with Russia.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will go to Saudi Arabia. However, it is not clear who will be part of the Russian delegation.
Former US President Donald Trump, who took office on January 20, has repeatedly promised to end the Ukraine war soon. But European countries are worried that they could be left out of any peace deal.
US Secretary of State Reuben Rubin spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, and the two agreed to continue contacts to prepare for a meeting between Trump and Putin.
On the other hand, the US and Ukraine are also negotiating a natural resources agreement, under which the US could invest in 50% of Ukraine’s valuable mineral reserves. Zelensky says the agreement does not include the security guarantees required for Ukraine.
Russia demands that Ukraine become neutral and hand over some territories to Russia, while Ukraine insists that Russia withdraw completely and provide NATO security guarantees.
According to experts, if negotiations are held without including Ukraine, it could create further complications in the future and cause resentment among European countries.
