Senior officials from US President Donald Trump’s administration are set to initiate peace talks with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, according to US Representative Michael McCaul and a source familiar with the planning, as per a news report.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and White House Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff will lead the US delegation, according to a report in Reuters.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy invited to participate
McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had been invited to participate in the talks. The objective, he said, was to arrange a meeting involving Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Zelenskyy to “finally bring peace and end this conflict.”
Zelenskyy, however, reiterated Ukraine’s stance that no peace deal would be accepted without Kyiv’s direct involvement. Ukraine has insisted on aligning with the United States and European allies to formulate a unified strategy before any Trump-Putin negotiations take place.
Concerns over European exclusion
A growing concern among European leaders is that they may be excluded from the negotiations. Trump’s Ukraine envoy, General Keith Kellogg, confirmed that Europe would not have a direct seat at the table during peace talks.
Asked about Europe’s role in the discussions, Kellogg stated, “I’m from a school of realism. I think that’s not gonna happen.” However, he later attempted to reassure European allies, saying their interests would still be “considered, used, or developed.”
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb firmly rejected the idea of excluding Europe from discussions. “There’s no way in which we can have discussions or negotiations about Ukraine, Ukraine’s future, or European security structure without Europeans,” Stubb said at the Munich Security Conference. “Europe needs to get its act together. Europe needs to talk less and do more.”
US Security priorities shift away from Europe
Recent US actions have signaled a shift in priorities, with Trump administration officials emphasising that NATO’s European members should take greater responsibility for regional security. The US now sees border security and countering China as more pressing concerns.
Adding to tensions, the Trump administration recently sent a questionnaire to European capitals, asking what security guarantees they were willing to offer Ukraine. Stubb noted that this move “will force Europeans to think” about their role in the conflict.
Trump calls Putin without consulting allies
Trump caused further unease among European allies this week by directly calling Putin without prior consultation with European leaders or Kyiv. He then declared an immediate start to peace talks. The move has raised fears that the resulting deal may be too favorable to Russia and that European interests may not be adequately represented.
As peace talks proceed, European leaders continue to demand a more active role in shaping Ukraine’s future and regional security.
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