The United States and Russia are set to initiate discussions on the Ukraine crisis starting Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, according to a recent report by CNN.
Representing the U.S. at the negotiations will be Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. Meanwhile, Russia is assembling a high-level negotiation team composed of senior political, intelligence, and economic officials, as reported by the China Media Group (CMG). The specific identities of the Russian delegates have yet to be disclosed.
A Saudi official revealed to CNN that the kingdom will play a mediation role and host the talks, with the national security adviser leading the Saudi team. Notably, Ukrainian and European officials have not been invited to participate in the Saudi-hosted discussions. However, a separate \"dual-track\" negotiation process is scheduled to take place in Kyiv this week, as stated by Keith Kellogg, the Trump administration's Russia-Ukraine envoy.
In a statement on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that Ukrainians would be involved in the negotiations. Secretary Rubio added that if the initial talks proceed positively, both Ukraine and Europe would join the discussions.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is currently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) engaging in talks on economic cooperation. Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced that Zelenskyy is expected to visit Saudi Arabia soon to sign various economic agreements with countries in the region. However, Zelenskyy has stated that he does not intend to meet with Russian or U.S. delegations during his visits to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Türkiye.
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U.S.-Russia talks on Ukraine crisis set to begin in Saudi Arabia
cgtn.com
