Washington: A senior team from US President Donald Trump’s administration is set to begin talks in Saudi Arabia with negotiators from Russia and Ukraine, aiming to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to US officials.
The team leading the negotiations includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Trump’s Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff. These talks come shortly after Trump’s announcement that he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since returning to office, and the two leaders agreed to start discussions on a ceasefire in Ukraine.
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While officials did not provide specific dates for when the meetings will take place or when the US team will travel, Rubio had already planned a visit to Saudi Arabia as part of his first Middle East tour. Rubio arrived in Israel on Saturday, as reported by a journalist.
Reaffirming commitment to ending the conflict
Earlier on Saturday, Rubio held a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during which he “reaffirmed President Trump’s commitment to finding an end to the conflict in Ukraine,” according to the US State Department.
Witkoff, a former property developer, played a significant role in a prisoner exchange deal earlier this week, which led to the call between Trump and Putin. Witkoff had even travelled to Moscow to bring home US detainee Marc Fogel. In a social media post announcing the call with Putin, Trump stated that he had tasked Rubio, Waltz, Witkoff, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe to immediately begin working on a deal with Russia to end the Ukraine war.
Kyiv and its European allies were caught off guard by Trump’s sudden move to start direct negotiations with Russia. Both fear being excluded from discussions regarding Ukraine's future, particularly following the largest land invasion in Europe since World War II.
Agency
Published: 16 Feb 2025, 07:43 am IST
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