Senior Russian Officials to Convene with Congressional Delegation Headed by Marco Rubio in Saudi Arabia

February 17, 2025 TruthUSA

The Trump administration is swiftly working to establish a cease-fire and resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his advisors are scheduled to meet with a group of senior Russian officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, as announced by the Kremlin on Monday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned that the purpose of the meeting is to address the restoration of diplomatic relations between Washington and Moscow, as well as to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.

Peskov also stated that the meeting will lay the groundwork for a potential meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He added that Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will lead Moscow’s delegation, joined by Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. The two are set to fly to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on Monday.

Steven Witkoff, Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, confirmed his participation in the meeting during an appearance on Fox News Sunday, alongside national security adviser Mike Waltz.

Peskov highlighted that the discussions will mainly focus on “restoring the entire complex of U.S.-Russian relations, as well as preparing for potential talks on the Ukrainian settlement and arranging a meeting between the two presidents.”

The Trump administration is taking swift action to implement a cease-fire and end the conflict in Ukraine, which originated from Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

Previously, the Biden administration had severed ties with Russia and declined negotiations until Putin withdrew all forces from Ukrainian soil.

After phone conversations on Feb. 12, Trump revealed that Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were prepared to engage in talks to work towards a resolution of the conflict.

However, Zelenskyy, speaking from the United Arab Emirates to journalists on a conference call, expressed that Ukraine had not been invited to the upcoming talks and thus believed they would be unproductive.

In a statement to reporters in the Oval Office last week, Trump emphasized the desire for peace, stating, “I think president Putin wants peace, and president Zelenskyy wants peace, and I want peace. I just want to see people stop being killed.”

Trump also indicated on Sunday that Zelenskyy would have involvement in the discussions, but it remains uncertain whether they will participate in the Saudi Arabia talks on Tuesday.

An official from Ukraine mentioned that a Ukrainian delegation is present in Riyadh to pave the way for a potential visit by Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy has affirmed that he will not accept any negotiation outcomes that exclude Ukraine. The European Union and European NATO members have also requested observer status at the talks.

Witkoff Aims for ‘Positive Progress’

During an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” program, Witkoff expressed hope for significant progress in Russia-Ukraine relations through the upcoming talks on Tuesday.

Witkoff refrained from commenting on whether Ukraine would have to cede a substantial portion of its territory.

He emphasized the importance of trust-building and the necessity to end the ongoing war, stating, “That’s what the president has directed us to do.”

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskyy, denied Ukraine’s involvement in the forthcoming meeting on Saturday, stating, “There is nothing on the negotiating table that would be worth discussing,” during an interview on Ukrainian television.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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