Top Russian and American officials met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to begin talks on improving ties and negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine.
Mr Trump earlier this month upended US policy towards Ukraine and Russia by saying he and Mr Putin had agreed to begin negotiations on ending the war. Ukrainian officials are not taking part in the meeting, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that his country will not accept the outcome if Kyiv does not take part.
The talks mark a significant expansion of US-Russian contacts, nearly three years into a war that has seen ties fall to the lowest level in decades. The recent US diplomatic blitz on the war has sent Kyiv and key allies scrambling to ensure a seat at the table amid concerns that Washington and Moscow could press ahead with a deal that will not be favourable to them.
France called an emergency meeting of European Union countries and the UK on Monday to decide how to respond. Ahead of the talks, Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, who the Kremlin said might join the meeting, underscored the importance of the meeting in comments to The Associated Press. Hosting the talks is a major step towards a goal Prince Mohammed has pursued throughout the war β putting the kingdom in the middle of diplomatic negotiations.
It has helped in prisoner negotiations and hosted Mr Zelensky for an Arab League summit in the kingdom in The Palestinians want Gaza and the West Bank for a future state, something backed by the wider Arab world and nearly all of the international community. We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues.
