Unexpected diplomatic move: U.S. and Russia to meet in Saudi Arabia
Michael McCaul announced that the USA and Russia are planning a meeting in Saudi Arabia, which surprised Ukrainian officials. Kyiv was not informed about the negotiations, reports Politico.
Republican member of the House of Representatives, Michael McCaul, stated during the Munich Security Conference that in the coming days, there will be a meeting between the USA and Russian negotiating teams in Saudi Arabia. Ukrainian officials were surprised by this information, claiming that they were not invited. "I do not know what it is," said the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.
President Zelensky expressed doubts about the seriousness of the talks, given they would take place without Ukraine's participation. "Well, this is not a serious conversation, it seems to me," he stated. His advisor, Mykhailo Podolyak, emphasized that Russia is not ready for negotiations. "There is nothing on the negotiating table that would be worth discussing," he added.
Concerns in Europe
The information about the planned meeting in Saudi Arabia has caused anxiety in Europe. Concerns pertain to the possibility of negotiating an agreement by Trump without the participation of Kyiv and its allies. "Only in the perverse world of Trump diplomacy is the larger invading country given more respect than the country that was invaded," said Mike Quigley, a Democrat from Illinois.
Some of Kyiv's allies in Washington are shocked by Trump's actions. Senator Lindsey Graham emphasized that the most important thing is the outcome of the talks, not the process itself. "President Trump owns the outcome. What matters is how it ends," he stated. European leaders, like Finland's President Alexander Stubb, are calling for Europe's involvement in the negotiations, emphasizing their importance for the future security of the continent.
