Saudi Arabia Welcomes Rubio Russia to Hold Discussions on Ending the War in Ukraine

US Senator Marco Rubio has been to Saudi Arabia for consultations in preparation for future negotiations with Russia to settle the war in Ukraine.

On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in Saudi Arabia for the long-awaited negotiations with Russian leaders to put an end to Moscow’s nearly three-year war in Ukraine.

The conversations come after President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke over the phone last week, during which Trump instructed top officials to start war talks, a top campaign promise.

A prisoner exchange last week was made possible by Riyadh, which is also negotiating with Washington about the future of the Gaza Strip. Riyadh has been involved in early contacts between the Trump administration and Moscow.

In addition to Trump’s National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and White House Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, Rubio is scheduled to visit Russian officials in Saudi Arabia after speaking by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday, a US senator and a source told Reuters. Which Russian officials are expected to attend is still unknown.

The discussions will take place in Riyadh on Tuesday, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, which cited anonymous sources.

Trump and Putin may meet as a result of these meetings, which are among the first high-level, face-to-face encounters between US and Russian officials in years.

Rubio said in remarks on Sunday that it would become clear in the upcoming days and weeks whether Putin is sincere about seeking peace.

Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, is also in the area. He has stated plans to travel to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, though no dates have been set. He arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. Ukraine is not thought to have been invited to the Saudi-hosted discussions, and Zelensky stated that he had no intentions to meet with Russian or American officials.

Rubio is also anticipated to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) in Saudi Arabia. Trump’s plan to relocate Gaza’s Palestinian citizens to other Arab countries and US-led rehabilitation projects are probably going to be discussed.

People in the Arab world are furious about that notion, and Palestinians are afraid they may be forced to leave the coastal enclave.

Gaza has been devastated since war broke out after Hamas militants supported by Iran attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing almost 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages, according to Israeli estimates. In retaliation, Israel began a military operation that has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. A tenuous ceasefire that was agreed upon last month is still in effect.