US And Russian Envoys Meet To Discuss Efforts To End The War Without Involving Ukraine

JAKARTA - US and Russian officials met in Riyadh to hold the first talks on efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile Kyiv and his allies in Europe watched from the field edge.

Talks in the Saudi capital on Tuesday, February 18, demonstrated the rapid US efforts to stop the conflict, less than a month after President Donald Trump took office and six days after he spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But Ukrainian and European leaders fear Trump will soon make a deal with Moscow that ignores their security interests, rewards Russia for carrying out an invasion of neighboring countries, and allowing Putin to freely threaten Ukraine or other countries in the future.

Trump has ruled out NATO membership in Ukraine. Kyiv's desire to reclaim his entire lost territory, called Trump, is just an illusion, has made concessions big before.

US officials say they only recognize the reality.

Ukraine says no peace agreement can be made on behalf of Ukraine. "We, as sovereign countries, will not be able to accept any agreement without us," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said last week.

Talks in Riyadh brought together three new US officials who took office in the first month of Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Trump's envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff against Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who has served since 2004, and Putin's veteran aide, Yuri Ushakov.

The media were allowed to video the two delegates, sitting opposite the poles wooden table with a series of large white flowers.

Officials ignored questions by reporters who asked whether the US was putting Ukraine aside and what concession Washington requested from Moscow.

The Kremlin said negotiations in Riyadh could provide clarity on possible meetings between Trump and Putin, which the two said they wanted to do.