US and Russian representatives set to meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss ceasefire in Ukraine – Axios

Senior officials from the United States and Russia are scheduled to meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, February 18, to discuss a potential agreement to end the war in Ukraine and prepare for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The Trump administration aims to secure a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine by Easter, celebrated on April 20.

Two sources directly involved in the events reported this information to Axios.

As noted, the American delegation will include:

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio,
• White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz,
• Ambassador to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

At the same time, the Russian delegation's members are currently unknown. One source reported that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will probably attend the meeting.

Witkoff told Fox News that he and Waltz would travel to Saudi Arabia on Sunday night. Rubio will arrive in Saudi Arabia on Monday after a visit to Israel.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday at a conference in Munich that Ukraine had not received an invitation to meet. However, Trump told reporters on Sunday that Zelensky "will be involved" in the talks later.

According to Reuters, Rubio arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday before the expected talks. The Russian newspaper Kommersant, citing unnamed sources, also reported that the negotiations would take place on Tuesday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Riyadh, which is also involved in negotiations with Washington on the future of the Gaza Strip, played an essential role in the first contacts between the new Trump administration and Moscow, helping to secure the exchange of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners last week.

The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to reach an agreement on a ceasefire in Ukraine by Easter, which will be celebrated on April 20.

The publication calls the situation "urgent".

"Trump is in a hurry to end the war in Ukraine, and European officials are concerned that President Volodymyr Zelensky could be pushed into a disastrous deal if they cannot quickly develop a plan to provide him with military support."

NBC News, citing sources, reports that the United States intends to first hold bilateral talks with Russia and Ukraine, followed by joint ones.

The publication notes that two American officials confirmed that Ukraine was not invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia but said that the United States intends to hold a bilateral meeting with Russia, then a bilateral meeting with Ukraine, and then joint talks.

The direct speech of the American official: "All this suggests that we are working with both [Russia and Ukraine—ed.] with equal weight.

We want to stop the killings and move towards lasting peace."

For reference:

President Zelensky is currently in the region, having arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. He announced plans to visit Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, although he did not specify the dates. Zelensky also stated that he has no plans to meet with Russian or American officials during his trip.

The day before, the head of the Presidential Office, Andrii Yermak, said that information about meetings with the Russians was fake and noted that a plan needed to be developed before the possible talks.