High-ranking officials from Donald Trump’s administration in the United States are preparing for a meeting with senior Russian officials to begin discussions aimed at ending the fighting in Ukraine, according to several CNN sources.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to head to Saudi Arabia to meet with the Russians.
CNN reports that the meeting is expected in the coming days.
On the Russian side, intelligence and economic officials, as well as Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian official who played a role in recent agreements for the release of many prisoners, are expected to participate.
Keith Kellog, President Trump’s envoy, stated on Saturday that Europe would be consulted but would not be part of the tripartite peace talks between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine.
“To my European friends, I would say: join the debate, not by complaining whether or not you can sit at the table, but by bringing concrete proposals and ideas,” he said at the Munich Security Conference.
Kellog mentioned that one of the reasons previous peace agreements between Ukraine and Russia failed was because too many countries were present at the table but lacked the ability to manage the peace process.
“We will not go down that road,” he added.
Kellog’s statements are expected to increase frustration among some European leaders who do not trust Trump and believe that the security of their countries is interconnected with the fate of Ukraine.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said that negotiations to end the three-year war in Ukraine should begin “immediately” after a “long and very productive” phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
