US and Russian officials will travel to Saudi Arabia to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine. Ukraine and European countries were not invited to participate.

(Washington/Moscow) US Secretary of State Rubio plans to travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming days to negotiate with Russian officials on ending the war in Ukraine. However, Ukraine and other European countries were not invited to participate. Rubio called Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on Saturday to reiterate that US President Trump is committed to ending the war and mentioned the need to remove the "unilateral barriers" set by the previous Biden administration for Russia.
      The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday (February 15) that following the phone call between the two presidents on Wednesday (February 12), Lavrov spoke by phone with Rubio at his request. The two agreed to maintain communication channels to address the accumulated problems in Russia-US relations and remove the unilateral barriers imposed by the Biden administration on previously mutually beneficial economic, trade and investment cooperation.
      The US statement said that Rubio reaffirmed Trump's commitment to seeking a way to end the conflict in Ukraine and discussed with Lavrov opportunities for cooperation on other bilateral issues.
      The Russian statement further noted that the two expressed their willingness to cooperate on solutions to the Ukraine issue, the situation in Palestine, and the situation in the Middle East and other regions. The statement also said that both sides committed to working together to restore "dialogue between states based on mutual respect", including preparations for a summit between the Russian and US leaders.
      Trump recently called Putin without informing his allies. The two agreed to immediately start negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, shocking Ukraine and European allies. Kremlin spokesperson Peskov described the call as constructive and productive, with both sides showing goodwill.
      In an interview video aired by Russian media on Sunday, Peskov said, "This is a strong signal indicating that we will now try to solve the problem through dialogue. Now, we are talking about peace, not war." He also said that Western sanctions would not hinder Russia-US negotiations because these sanctions could be lifted quickly.
      Reuters, citing US Republican Representative McCaul and a source, reported that the Trump administration will send a high-level delegation consisting of Rubio, White House National Security Advisor Bolton, and Trump's Middle East envoy Witkoff to Saudi Arabia to hold talks with Russian officials. It is not clear when the two sides will meet, but Rubio arrived in Israel on Saturday night to start his Middle East visit, with Saudi Arabia being one of the stops. Witkoff confirmed to Fox News on Sunday that he and Bolton will travel to Saudi Arabia together on Sunday to discuss how to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
      Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attended the meeting of emerging market economies in AlUla, Saudi Arabia on Sunday. It is not yet clear whether he will participate in negotiations with the US side or which officials will be included in the Russian delegation.
      U.S. Special Envoy: Negotiations May Force Russia to Make Territorial Concessions
      U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Kurt Volker said at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday that Europe is not expected to have a seat at the negotiating table, but he reassured European allies that this does not mean European interests will not be taken into account. He also said that negotiations may focus on forcing Russia to make territorial concessions and targeting Russia's oil revenues as a means of pressure.
      As the United States indicated it would not invite Europe to the negotiations, France stated on Sunday that it would host a summit of European leaders on Monday (17th) to discuss the war in Ukraine and European security issues.
      On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine was not invited to the Saudi talks. He hopes that Kellogg will visit the frontline in eastern Ukraine, report the actual situation on the battlefield to Trump, and help the US understand Ukraine's position.