(NewsNation) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Saudi Arabia on Monday for peace talks aimed at ending the nearly three-year-long war in Ukraine.
The talks come as European nations consider stepping up to defend Ukraine.
While the U.S. has stated Ukraine will be included in the discussions this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country had not been invited to the table, raising concerns about the effectiveness of an agreement without Ukraine’s direct involvement.
Is Ukraine involved in peace talks?
Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and special envoy Steve Witkoff are set to meet with Russian officials in Riyadh on Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters Monday. It is unclear whether any Ukrainian representatives will participate in the talks.
Witkoff, however, insists Ukraine has been included in discussions, citing a recent meeting in Munich and a call with President Donald Trump.
Zelenskyy emphasized any deal made without Ukraine’s input is unacceptable.
“I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine. Never. And our people, never. And our adults, children and everybody, it can’t be so. The war in Ukraine is against us, and it is our human losses,” Zelsenkyy said.
Trump to meet with Putin ‘soon’
Witkoff spoke directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin for hours, and Trump teased a future meeting with Putin.
“Well, it’ll be soon. We’ll see what happens. But they’re meeting right now. And that’s more. I mean, this should have been done four years ago, three years ago, before it started. But it should have been done immediately after it started, as opposed to now, three years later,” Trump told reporters on Sunday.
During an NBC interview Sunday, Zelenskkyy compared the need to defend Ukraine to that of helping Israel against Iran, saying Ukraine needs similar security guarantees from the U.S. and Europe.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he’s “ready and willing” to deploy troops in Ukraine to enforce a peace deal.
