Iruni Kalupahana JadeTimes Staff
I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Russia-Ukraine war
High-Level Diplomacy in Riyadh
Senior American and Russian leaders will sit down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the most significant diplomatic meeting between the two nations since Russia's complete invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago. The step by the Trump administration to go into direct talks is a departure from previous U.S. policies to isolate Moscow. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and top Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and exploring possible solutions to the war in Ukraine. Ukraine has not been invited to attend the meeting, though, and its allies and Kyiv have raised an eyebrow about the course of the talks.
European Allies and Ukraine Worries
Excluding Ukraine from negotiations has prompted gigantic protests by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well as European leaders. France requested an emergency summit involving the European Union and the U.K. in order to devise their next steps. Zelenskyy explicitly said Ukraine would not take any agreement entered into without its participation. While Trump assured that Ukraine "will be involved," there are fears that Washington and Moscow might negotiate a settlement at the expense of Kyiv. EU diplomats insist that Europe should be involved in peace talks, but Lavrov did not include them, arguing that talks will focus on restoring U.S.-Russia relations and negotiating terms of settlement for Ukraine.
Putin's Demands and U.S. Position
Russia has been adamant that it will not even think about withdrawing from September 2022-annexed territories. The conditions for peace set by Putin are that Ukraine abandon its attempt to join NATO and pull out its troops from disputed areas terms that Kyiv has unequivocally turned down. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has meanwhile urged Ukraine to reconsider its aspirations of joining NATO and reclaiming territory, hinting at a potential shift in U.S. policy. Trump's special envoy, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, will go to Kyiv to broker security guarantees, as Ukraine insists that any agreement must contain strong guarantees against future Russian attacks.
Future Horizons and Security Assurances
While Riyadh talks are a giant step for US-Russia ties, the outcome remains uncertain. Zelenskyy wants to take Kellogg to the trenches to highlight Ukraine's security requirements, such as military and economic assistance from the West. Further, the idea of American investment in Ukraine's mineral wealth has been proposed, subject to ironclad security guarantees. As diplomatic games are played out, the world waits with bated breath to see if these talks can lead to permanent peace or widen geopolitical fault lines.
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