The Russian side confirmed that Russia and the United States will hold a meeting in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, to prepare for possible negotiations on the Ukraine issue. Earlier, U.S. President Trump stated that Ukrainian President Zelensky "will participate" in the negotiations on Ukraine, but did not specify which talks he would join. European countries had previously expressed concerns about being excluded from the negotiation process after the U.S. and Russian presidents discussed the Ukraine crisis over the phone, fearing that the two nations might reach an agreement detrimental to European security. U.S. Secretary of State Rubio reassured that Europe would be included in "the real negotiations."

Talks are about to begin. According to a report by RIA Novosti citing Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov, on the instructions of President Putin, Lavrov and Presidential Assistant Ushakov will travel to Riyadh. The upcoming Russian-American talks primarily aim to restore comprehensive relations between the two countries, discuss arrangements for a meeting between their presidents, and prepare for potential negotiations on the Ukraine issue. The Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed U.S. official, that Trump has dispatched Secretary of State Rubio, National Security Advisor Waltz, and the President's Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs Vitkov to Saudi Arabia to hold talks with the Russian delegation. It remains unclear whether any representatives from Ukraine will participate.

Reuters reported that during the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Ukrainian President Zelensky, when asked about the planned meeting between U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, stated that Ukraine had not received any invitation. Trump recently claimed that he would meet with Russian President Putin in Saudi Arabia "soon." When asked by reporters whether Zelensky would participate in negotiations on the Ukraine issue, Trump replied, "Yes, he will be involved." However, he did not specify which meeting Zelensky would attend.

美联社报道，一个乌克兰代表团日已抵达沙特阿拉伯，为泽连斯基可能的访问做准备。泽连斯基目前正在中东地区访问，日已抵达阿拉伯联合酋长国。阿联酋长期以来一直被视为举行俄乌和谈的潜在地点。

Who Has Sincerity? In an interview with CBS, Rubio stated that there is "still a long way to go" before initiating peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Mentioning the recent phone call between Trump and Putin, Rubio noted that Putin expressed interest in peace, while Trump hopes to end the conflict in a lasting manner that protects Ukraine's sovereignty. In his view, "a single phone call cannot create peace." When asked whether he believes Putin is ready to negotiate and make compromises, Rubio said that the call must be "followed by actions," and the coming days or weeks "will determine if there is real seriousness."

月日，美国国务卿鲁比奥抵达沙特利雅得。新华社/美联

A Reuters analysis suggests that the U.S. hopes to gauge Russia's sincerity through talks in Saudi Arabia this week. The report states that Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov by phone and had already arrived in Saudi Arabia. According to an interview video posted on social media by Russian TV journalist Zarubin, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov said that Putin's recent phone call with Trump sent a strong signal of resolving issues through dialogue, prioritizing peace over war. However, he noted that Russia will not forget how the West deceived them and will defend its interests in any potential negotiations over Ukraine.

Excluding Europe? Recent actions by the Trump administration on issues such as Ukraine, Russia, and European defense have left European officials both shocked and unprepared. They fear that Europe can no longer rely on U.S. military protection and worry that Trump might strike a peace deal with Putin that would harm Ukraine and the overall security of the European continent. Regarding whether to invite Europe to participate in negotiations on the Ukraine issue, Lavrov stated that Russia is unclear about what Europe could bring to the negotiating table on Ukraine. Europe’s stance on the Ukraine issue has not changed. If Europe verbally claims to want to end the conflict but in reality hopes to continue the war, "then why invite them?"

U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg explicitly stated that European countries will not be included among the participants in negotiations on the Ukraine issue. Additionally, according to CNBC, Kellogg also said that the U.S. does not want the talks to become a "large group discussion." However, Kellogg sought to reassure allies, stating that European interests would be taken into account during the negotiations. In response, leaders from several European countries recently stated during the Munich Security Conference that negotiations without the participation of European nations and Ukraine are "unacceptable."

European leaders held emergency talks in Paris on issues including Ukraine. UK Prime Minister Starmer stated that Britain is prepared to send troops to Ukraine if necessary. Since the escalation of the Ukraine crisis, British leaders had never publicly considered deploying forces to Ukraine. To ease European concerns, Rubio said the negotiation process regarding Ukraine has not truly begun, and when "real negotiations" commence, Ukraine and Europe will be involved. "We're just not there yet," Rubio remarked.