A meeting between representatives of Russia and the U.S. aimed at settling the war in Ukraine will take place on Tuesday, February 18, in Saudi Arabia, according to Axios sources.
The U.S. delegation will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Whitecoff. The composition of the Russian delegation has not been disclosed, but sources indicate that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will likely attend the meeting.
On Sunday, Whitecoff told Fox News that he and Waltz would depart for Saudi Arabia on Sunday evening. Rubio will arrive on Monday, after his visit to Israel.
Ukraine will not be represented at the meeting, raising concerns in Kyiv and several European capitals. One Ukrainian official told Axios that the only invitation Ukraine received was “through media reports.”
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the Ukrainian president would also be involved in peace negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict.
It was previously reported that high-ranking officials from the U.S. and Russia would meet in Saudi Arabia to prepare for a potential summit between Trump and Putin by the end of the month.
