Trump to send team to Saudi Arabia for Ukraine-Russia talks

United States President Donald Trump will send a team of senior American officials to Saudi Arabia to begin talks with Russia and Ukraine, with the aim of ending the nearly three-year war, American officials told various media outlets.

US officials told reporters on February 15 that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff will participate in the talks.

Keith Kellogg, Trump's envoy for Ukraine and Russia, is not expected to attend the talks, according to media reports citing US officials.

However, a Ukrainian official told Politico that the news caught Kiev by surprise and that there are no plans to send a delegation to Saudi Arabia yet. US officials also told reporters that there are no plans to include representatives from allied countries in the talks.

On the other hand, the European Union's (EU) foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, called for a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers to discuss Ukraine in Munich on the morning of February 16, on the sidelines of the Security Conference in Germany.

Meanwhile, the Reuters news agency cited four European diplomats as saying that France is trying to organize an informal summit of EU leaders to discuss Ukraine, as early as February 17. No further details were given.

US officials did not provide details on when the meetings in Saudi Arabia would take place. Rubio arrived in Israel on the evening of February 15 after attending the Munich conference.

Important discussions are taking place in Munich about the war - which has claimed thousands of lives and caused billions of dollars in damage.

Kellogg caused surprise when he said that Europe might not be at the "table" if the United States mediates talks to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

Speaking at a lunch panel at the Munich Security Conference on February 15, Kellogg hinted that Washington aims to make significant progress within weeks, stressing that he is acting "on Trump's time."

Amid concerns in Kiev and the European Union that they could be sidelined after Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week and said Russia and the United States would immediately begin negotiations, Kellogg stressed that Ukraine and Europe would not be left out.

"You have to involve the allies. Will they play a role? Of course they will. We want to make sure it's a sustainable and long-term peace," he added.

However, when asked if he could guarantee the audience that "the Ukrainians will be at the table and the Europeans will be at the table," Kellogg replied, "Oh, well, you just changed the whole dynamic."

"The answer to the last question... is no," he said, apparently referring to Europe. "The answer to the first part of that question is yes, of course the Ukrainians will be there."

The US State Department said on February 15 that Secretary Rubio spoke by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier in the day.

Rubio's conversation with Lavrov "took place in the wake of talks following President Donald Trump's call with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week," a brief statement said.

"The Secretary reiterated President Trump's commitment to finding a solution to the conflict in Ukraine. In addition, they discussed the possibility of cooperation on a number of other bilateral issues," the statement said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the two "agreed to maintain an open channel of communication to address long-standing issues in US-Russian relations."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and EU leaders have expressed their opposition to holding talks without the involvement of their negotiators.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called against a "quick solution" and a "dirty deal" to end the conflict, insisting that no peace agreement can be implemented without the involvement of Europe and Ukraine.

Addressing the Munich conference, Zelensky called on European countries to establish a joint army, in the event of a possible US withdrawal and in the face of continued threats from Russia.

"The time has come, the European Armed Forces must be created," he said.

"If the Americans decide to leave, to limit their presence, it's not good, of course, it's dangerous," Zelensky said.

On the sidelines of the Munich conference, the G7 industrialized countries reiterated their "unwavering support for Ukraine."

"Members of the G7 discussed Russia's destructive war in Ukraine," a joint statement said. The G7 includes the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Japan and Italy.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Zelensky that London remains committed to "Ukraine's irreversible path to NATO membership."

Starmer said he agreed there could be no talks "about Ukraine, without Ukraine." He added that Kiev needed strong sovereignty and security guarantees, as well as additional military assistance./ REL