In a significant diplomatic development, U.S. and Russian officials convened in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss potential peace terms for Ukraine, notably without the presence of any Ukrainian representatives.
The discussions, spearheaded by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, aim to establish a framework for a ceasefire, subsequent elections in Ukraine, and the eventual signing of a peace agreement.
According to Fox News, the U.S. and Russia are also exploring the possibility of arranging a meeting between former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce confirmed that Rubio's delegation has committed to "lay the groundwork for cooperation" with Russia on various issues beyond Ukraine. This includes the formation of "high-level teams" tasked with devising a strategy to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Diplomatic sources suggest that compelling Ukraine to conduct new elections could be pivotal to any peace agreement. Both the U.S. and Russia reportedly perceive Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chances of re-election as slim. "Putin assesses the probability of electing a puppet president as quite high and is also convinced that any candidate other than the current President of Ukraine will be more flexible and ready for negotiations and concessions," these sources revealed in a meeting readout.
Despite these developments, Zelenskyy has firmly stated that his nation will not accept any peace terms brokered by the U.S. and Russia without Ukrainian participation. Trump, on his part, has assured that Ukraine will be included in the broader peace process. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff highlighted that the Riyadh meeting is primarily focused on "trust building" rather than delving into the specifics of a peace agreement.
In a recent phone conversation, Zelenskyy cautioned Trump against trusting Putin, labeling him a "liar." Zelenskyy recounted, "I said that [Putin] is a liar," and added, "And he said, 'I think my feeling is that he's ready for these negotiations.' And I said to him, 'No, he's a liar. He doesn't want any peace.'" Nonetheless, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Putin might be "a little bit scared" of Trump.
The absence of European representatives from Tuesday's talks is noteworthy, especially following Vice President JD Vance's sharp critique of European allies at the Munich Security Conference last week. In response, some European nations are taking proactive measures.
U.K. Prime Minister Kier Starmer has expressed his willingness to deploy British troops to Ukraine as part of a peace agreement to ensure the nation's security. "I do not say that lightly," Starmer wrote in the Daily Telegraph, emphasizing the gravity of potentially placing British servicemen and women in harm's way. He further asserted, "But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine's security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country."
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