Trump Team to Meet Russian, Ukrainian Negotiators in Saudi Arabia

The delegation will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Trump’s Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff. The officials did not specify the exact dates for the talks or when the delegation would travel to Saudi Arabia.

This development follows Trump’s recent announcement of a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking their first conversation since Trump’s return to office. According to Trump, both leaders agreed to initiate discussions aimed at securing a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Rubio’s visit to Saudi Arabia had already been planned as part of his Middle East tour, which began on Saturday with his arrival in Israel. Earlier that day, Rubio had a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during which he reiterated President Trump’s commitment to ending the conflict in Ukraine, the State Department reported.

Witkoff, a former property developer, played a key role in a prisoner exchange deal earlier this week that helped facilitate the Trump-Putin call. Witkoff had even traveled to Moscow to secure the release of U.S. detainee Marc Fogel.

In a social media post following the call with Putin, Trump announced that he had tasked Rubio, Waltz, Witkoff, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe with immediately working on a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

However, the sudden shift in U.S. policy has raised concerns among Kyiv and its European allies, who fear being sidelined in negotiations regarding Ukraine's future after Russia’s large-scale invasion.