At left, Marco Rubio attends a Senate Foreign Relations committee hearing on his nomination to be Secretary of State on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. Center: The Kremlin is pictured in Moscow, Russia. Opposite, Russian president Vladimir Putin July 15, 2018; Moscow, at a FIFA event.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images + © Witters Sport-Imagn Images + © Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(Washington, DC) – As the Trump White House pushes for an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, new talks will be held between US and Russian officials. The summit is set to take place in Saudi Arabia, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio taking part alongside the US delegation. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff are also participating.
European officials have expressed regret they aren’t a part of these talks. That’s also true for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who notes he was not invited. Last week, Vice President JD Vance met with Zelensky on the sidelines of the Security Summit in Munich, Germany. And a group of US senators met with Zelensky there as well.
President Trump held a phone call this month with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as a separate call with Zelensky, and the indication is the Trump Administration will continue to push for a ceasefire and protracted peace agreement. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said Ukraine joining NATO has to be off the table, and he notes European troops will need to oversee the peace-keeping process.
As for the talks in Saudia Arabia, the event comes after Secretary Rubio spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the weekend. He reportedly reaffirming President Trump’s “commitment to finding an end to the conflict in Ukraine.”
