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US-Russia talks on Ukraine war in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday: report

17.02.2025 09:00
Senior US and Russian officials are expected to meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss a possible agreement on ending the war in Ukraine, a US-based news website has reported.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.Photo: EPA/PETER KNEFFEL

The US delegation will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, the axios.com website reported on Monday, citing "two sources with direct knowledge."

Tuesday's meeting aims to prepare for a summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. It comes after the two leaders talked on the phone last week, axios.com said.

On the Russian side, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov will attend the talks, Polish state news agency PAP reported on Monday, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Rubio said on Sunday that the coming days and weeks would determine whether Putin is serious about making peace in Ukraine, the Reuters news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, with plans to also visit Saudi Arabia and Turkey, according to Reuters.

Zelensky said, however, that he did not intend to meet with either US or Russian officials during his visit to the Middle East and had not been invited to the Saudi-hosted talks, Polish broadcaster TVP Info reported.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, starting the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.

Monday marks the 1,089th day of the war.

(gs)

Source: PAPaxios.com, Reuters, TVP Info