U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed his participation in upcoming negotiations in Saudi Arabia with Russian delegates, alongside U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, two of Trump’s closest foreign policy advisors.
Rubio will travel from Jerusalem, where he held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. When asked by CBS News about the purpose of the meeting in Saudi Arabia, Rubio provided limited details on what he would discuss with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.
However, he emphasized that the meeting would serve as a test to determine whether Vladimir Putin is genuinely open to a peace agreement, stating that “the coming days” will be crucial in assessing Russia’s seriousness.
Uncertain Path to Peace
Rubio acknowledged that a single meeting would not be sufficient to resolve the war and that a formal negotiation process between Ukraine, Russia, and third parties has yet to be established.
He also revealed that a phone call recently took place between President Putin and President Trump, in which both leaders expressed a willingness to halt the war. More discussions are expected to explore possible pathways toward a peace process.
