US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed gratitude to Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman for once again facilitating discussions aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict and achieving a sustainable peace, as noted in a summary of their meeting in Jeddah.
The two engaged in discussions for over two hours in the port city prior to critical negotiations between the US and Ukraine scheduled for Tuesday. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz was also present at the meeting. Rubio and Waltz had previously met with the crown prince three weeks ago in Riyadh before talks with Russian officials.
During the recent meeting, the leaders addressed the situation in Yemen and the threats posed to maritime navigation by Houthi militants, which endanger global trade, American interests, and the safety of Saudi citizens and infrastructure.
The Secretary also brought up the situation in Syria, exploring avenues to foster a stable government free from terrorism, according to the summary.
They further discussed the reconstruction efforts in Gaza, with the Secretary expressing appreciation to the Crown Prince for hosting Arab nations and reaffirming the United States’ strong stance that any resolution regarding Gaza must exclude any involvement from Hamas.
In related news, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is anticipated to travel to Moscow later this week, although a source could not confirm whether he would meet with President Vladimir Putin, whom he had an audience with last month.
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