Russian officials to meet U.S. counterparts in Saudi Arabia for talks on Ukraine and relations

Top Russian officials will meet U.S. representatives in Saudi Arabia on February 18 to discuss restoring relations and ending the war in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and adviser Yuri Ushakov will attend, led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will not participate in the talks, citing a lack of Ukrainian representation. He expressed skepticism about the talks yielding results and emphasized the need for a plan to achieve peace. The upcoming discussions follow a recent phone call between Presidents Trump and Putin, which marked a shift in U.S. policy towards Russia. Trump indicated that Zelenskyy would be involved in future negotiations, but details remain unclear.