US and Russian officials held diplomatic talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday without Ukrainian officials present.
The group led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, are calling for the terms of a peace deal in Ukraine, potentially with President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. We are negotiating a meeting. They proposed a framework that could include a ceasefire and signing a peace agreement following the election in Ukraine.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce also confirmed that Rubio’s team has agreed to “lay the foundation for cooperation” with Russia on a variety of issues in addition to Ukraine. They also agreed to appoint a “high-level team” to begin working on the path to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Reports from several foreign diplomatic sources say that enforcing Ukraine to a new election could be an important part of the peace agreement. Both the US and Russia believe Ukrainian President Voldimir Zelensky is unlikely to win reelection, sources say.
Putin saw him as a “great competitor,” but he was still seen as an “enemy” as Ukrainian negotiations loomed, Levitt said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, second left, meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, third left, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, left, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, right, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy advisor Yuri on Tuesday, February 18th, at the Dilyya Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, second right. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)
“Putin appreciates the possibility of electing a puppet president as extremely high and believes that the current non-Ukrainian candidates are more flexible and ready to negotiate and concessions,” said a diplomatic source. mentioned in the way of reading the meeting.
R-Penn makes a house in the Ukrainian Caucus into a chair. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick rejected the idea of a forced election in Ukraine on social media.
Zelensky said his country would never accept the terms of peace negotiated by the US and Russia without Ukraine’s involvement. Trump has vowed that Ukraine will be involved in a larger process. Zelenskyy shortened his trip in the Middle East following news of Tuesday’s meeting. He was scheduled to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, but will return to Kiev instead.
Trump envoy Steve Witkov on Sunday emphasized that the ongoing meeting in Riyadh is more about “building trust” than going into the details of the actual peace deal.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Russian counterpart in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. (AP photo/Mark Sieferbein, pool)
Zelensky urged Trump last week not to trust Putin over the phone.
“(Putin) said he was a liar,” Zelensky said about the phone. “And he said, “I think my feelings are that he’s ready for these negotiations,” and I told him, “No, he’s a liar.”
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Nevertheless, the Ukrainian leader said he believes Putin is “a little scary” for Trump.
Also excluded from Tuesday’s consultations are European representatives and notable absences, given the harsh responsibilities of European allies held by Vice President JD Vance at last week’s Munich Security Conference. .
The war in Ukraine continues to infuriate as fledgling peace negotiations take place in Saudi Arabia. (AP photo/libkos, files)
Some European allies have announced that British Prime Minister Kier Stage is willing to place British troops on the ground in Ukraine to ensure security as part of the peace agreement.
“I didn’t lightly say that,” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph. “I feel very deeply responsible for the potential harm to British servicemen and women.”
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“However, the role that helps ensure the safety of Ukraine is helping to ensure the safety of our continent and the security of this country,” he added.
