US and Russia begin talks to end Ukraine war without Ukrainian participation

The U.S. and Russia have begun talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, but Ukraine is not participating. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy postponed a visit to Saudi Arabia to avoid legitimizing the discussions without Ukraine's involvement. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Moscow will not accept NATO troops in any peacekeeping role. This indicates that Russia is seeking further concessions in the negotiations. The initial meeting involved Russian officials and U.S. representatives from the Trump administration. There were no mentions of concessions from Russia, leading to skepticism about the potential for serious peace negotiations.