U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday for anticipated discussions with Russian officials aimed at negotiating an end to Moscow’s nearly three-year war in Ukraine.
The talks follow a phone call last week between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which Trump directed senior officials to begin negotiations—fulfilling a key pledge of his presidential campaign.
Riyadh, which is also in talks with Washington over the future of Gaza, has played a mediating role in early U.S.-Russia contacts, helping facilitate a prisoner exchange last week.
Rubio, who spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday, is set to meet Russian officials in Riyadh alongside:
- Trump’s National Security Adviser Mike Waltz
- White House Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff
It remains unclear which Russian officials will attend the closed-door meetings.
According to Russian newspaper Kommersant, citing unnamed sources, the talks will take place on Tuesday in Riyadh.
These discussions mark one of the first high-level, in-person engagements between U.S. and Russian officials in years and are expected to lay the groundwork for a potential Trump-Putin summit.
Speaking on Sunday, Rubio stated that the coming weeks and days will reveal whether Putin is genuinely interested in pursuing peace.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also in the Middle East, having arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday.
Zelensky has expressed intentions to visit Saudi Arabia and Turkey, though no dates have been confirmed.
He also stated that he has no plans to meet with U.S. or Russian officials, and Ukraine is not believed to be invited to the Saudi-hosted talks—raising concerns about its role in shaping any future peace deal.
While in Saudi Arabia, Rubio is also expected to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) to discuss:
- Trump’s proposal to resettle Palestinian residents of Gaza in other Arab nations
- U.S.-led reconstruction efforts in Gaza
With U.S.-Russia talks progressing and Ukraine left on the sidelines, the diplomatic landscape surrounding the war in Ukraine and broader Middle East negotiations continues to shift rapidly.
