RIYADH: Top officials from the United States and Russia have started high-level peace talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The discussions, held at Al-Diriyah Palace, are being mediated by Saudi officials to improve relations between the two countries and promote global stability.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and National Security Advisor Musaad Al-Aiban are leading the mediation efforts. A video from the meeting showed them sitting at a large table with senior officials from both sides.

Representing the US are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. On the Russian side, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov are leading their delegation.

The talks aim to set the stage for a future meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Before the meeting, Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, praised Trump’s leadership. He called him a PROBLEM SOLVER and said Trump’s team had successfully handled many crises. Dmitriev also mentioned the financial impact of US sanctions on Russia, stating that American companies had lost nearly USD300 billion by leaving the Russian market.

This meeting is a major step toward easing tensions between the two countries, with Saudi Arabia playing a crucial role in bringing both sides together.
Ukraine Not Included in Talks

The peace talks come after President Trump spoke with Putin last week and agreed to start negotiations immediately. However, Ukraine was not invited to the meeting. This has caused concern among Ukrainian leaders. President Volodymyr Zelensky made it clear that his country will not accept any agreement made without its participation.

"We cannot recognize any deal about Ukraine without Ukraine being involved," Zelensky said. He also mentioned that Kyiv was not informed about the Riyadh talks. Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that these talks were mainly about preparing a meeting between Trump and Putin. He also made it clear that Russia had no plans to give up any of the territories it has taken from Ukraine, which could be a major issue in any future peace agreement.

Zelensky announced that he would also be traveling to Saudi Arabia, though he stressed that his visit was unrelated to the US-Russia talks. In addition, Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, is expected to visit Kyiv later this week to discuss the situation with Zelensky.

Europe Reacts to Exclusion

European leaders have also raised concerns about being left out of the discussions. French President Emmanuel Macron quickly organized an emergency meeting in Paris to discuss the situation with other European leaders. After the meeting, they promised to continue supporting Ukraine, but they did not announce any specific security measures. There were also talks about possibly sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, but no final decision was made.

The ongoing discussions in Riyadh are expected to shape the future of US-Russia relations and could have a major impact on the war in Ukraine.