The United States and Russia are set to commence talks on the Ukraine crisis this Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, as reported by CNN. Representing the U.S. 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 consisting of senior political, intelligence, and economic officials, according to the China Media Group (CMG). The specific Russian representatives attending the talks have yet to be announced.
Saudi Arabia is playing a pivotal role in mediating these discussions, with a Saudi national security adviser leading the negotiation team. A Saudi official confirmed the country's involvement in both hosting and mediating the negotiations.
Interestingly, Ukrainian and European officials have not been invited to participate in the Saudi-hosted talks. However, a separate "dual-track" negotiation process is scheduled to occur in Kyiv this week, as highlighted by Keith Kellogg, the Trump administration's Russia-Ukraine envoy.
On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that Ukrainians would be involved in the negotiations. Secretary Rubio also mentioned that if initial discussions proceed positively, both Ukraine and Europe would join the talks.
In parallel developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is currently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to explore economic cooperation and is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia soon. During his visit, he plans to sign economic agreements with various countries in the region, as announced by Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.
Despite these engagements, Zelenskyy stated at the Munich Security Conference that he does not intend to meet with Russian or U.S. delegations while in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, or Türkiye, asserting, \"I will not meet with Russians, and I will not meet with Americans there.\"
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U.S.-Russia talks on Ukraine crisis set to begin in Saudi Arabia
cgtn.com
