The United States, Russia, and Ukraine sent delegations to Saudi Arabia with the aim of starting talks to end the war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian government has expressed its concern and made it clear that it will not accept any agreement without its consent. In Europe, EU leaders, the UK, the European Commission, and NATO will soon meet to define their strategy regarding this situation.
A U.S. delegation will travel to the Saudi kingdom in the coming hours to meet with Russian officials in search of a solution to the conflict. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian delegation will also be present in the country, although it is not known if they will participate in the talks. According to sources cited by Axios, the first meeting in Saudi Arabia is scheduled for Tuesday.
Ukraine's Minister of Economy, Yulia Svyrydenko, announced on Facebook that the Ukrainian delegation is already in Saudi Arabia. Svyrydenko mentioned that the aim of the trip is to strengthen economic ties with the Arab country and prepare for a possible visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a recent interview, Zelensky emphasized the importance of Ukraine actively participating in any agreement involving his country.
Despite the uncertainty regarding Ukrainian participation in the talks, President Donald Trump had previously announced an agreement with Putin to commence negotiations and end the conflict in Ukraine. Although the date of the summit in Saudi Arabia has not yet been confirmed, CNN reported that the Russian delegation could include high-ranking political, intelligence, and economic officials.
Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, confirmed that he will travel with the National Security Advisor to meet with Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia. Witkoff expressed his belief that Ukraine will participate in the negotiations with Russia and voiced his hope to achieve significant progress in the upcoming talks.
