U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Saudi Arabia before February 28, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Preparations for the high-stakes meeting are expected to begin next week, with representatives from both countries meeting to lay the groundwork for discussions.
Meanwhile, Politico reported that senior Trump administration officials will soon initiate peace talks with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. delegation will include National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. However, U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg will not participate.
Michael McCaul, chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been invited to join the talks. Ukraine has repeatedly stressed its desire to coordinate with the U.S. and Europe before any direct Trump-Putin negotiations.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump assured that Ukraine would have “a seat at the table” in any peace negotiations with Russia aimed at ending the war.
Furthermore, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed to maintain regular contact to prepare for the upcoming Putin-Trump meeting, Russia’s foreign ministry said on Saturday.
The phone call, initiated by Washington, focused on key global issues, including the Ukraine conflict and the situation in Palestine, according to Moscow’s statement.
Trump’s recent call with Putin on Wednesday, during which they reportedly discussed a wide range of topics, including Ukraine, appears to have accelerated diplomatic efforts. This was followed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks that he would engage with Putin only under a framework agreed upon with the United States. Meanwhile, European leaders have indicated they will have a say in the process but will not be directly involved in negotiations.
With just over two weeks until the anticipated summit in Saudi Arabia, the two leaders are set to meet in person, fulfilling their mutual commitment to reciprocal visits.
