Zelensky: Ukraine won’t take part in upcoming US-Russia talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his country will not take part in US-Russia talks this week on ending the war and cannot accept the outcome of the summit if Ukraine does not participate.

Speaking to journalists on a conference call from the United Arab Emirates, Mr Zelensky said his government had not been invited to Tuesday’s planned talks in Saudi Arabia.

He said they would “yield no results”, given the absence of any Ukrainian officials.

Mr Zelensky added he would travel to Turkey on Monday and to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, but that his trip to the Arab nation was unrelated to planned US-Russia talks there on Tuesday.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and Vladimir Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov will fly to the Saudi capital the day to take part in the talks.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio will lead the US delegation. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News on Sunday that he and national security adviser Mike Waltz also will take part in the talks.

Mr Peskov said the talks will be primarily focused on “restoring the entire complex of US-Russian relations, as well as preparing possible talks on the Ukrainian settlement and organizing a meeting of the two presidents”.

Published: 17/02/2025 by Radio NewsHub