Marco Rubio arrives in Saudi Arabia before Russia talks to end Ukraine war
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in Saudi Arabia on Monday, ahead of anticipated discussions with Russian officials regarding efforts to end Moscow’s nearly three-year conflict in Ukraine.
The upcoming talks follow a recent phone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the call, Trump instructed top officials to initiate negotiations aimed at resolving the war—an issue he had pledged to address during his presidential campaign.
Saudi Arabia, which is also engaged in discussions with Washington on the future of the Gaza Strip, has played a key role in facilitating early contacts between the Trump administration, which assumed office on January 20, and Moscow. Last week, Riyadh helped mediate a prisoner exchange between the two sides.
Rubio, who spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the phone on Saturday, is set to meet Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia. He will be accompanied by Trump’s National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and White House Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff. However, it remains unclear which Russian officials will be present at the talks, according to sources.
Russian newspaper Kommersant, citing unnamed sources, reported that the discussions are scheduled to take place on Tuesday in Riyadh.
These talks mark one of the first high-level, in-person engagements between US and Russian officials in years and are expected to pave the way for a potential meeting between the two presidents.
On Sunday, Rubio stated that the next few weeks would reveal whether Putin is genuinely committed to seeking peace.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has also traveled to the region. After arriving in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday he indicated plans to visit Saudi Arabia and Turkey, though no specific dates have been announced. He clarified that he has no scheduled meetings with US or Russian officials, and Ukraine is not expected to participate in the Saudi-hosted negotiations.
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