Ukraine excluded from Russia-US discussions, according to Zelensky

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has stated that Ukraine was not included in the upcoming discussions between delegations from Washington and Moscow, which are set to occur in Saudi Arabia in the near future.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump engaged in a phone conversation, marking their first direct communication since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Following this, the foreign ministers of both nations held a call on Saturday to discuss preparations for a potential high-level summit between Russia and the United States.

While Moscow has not confirmed specific details, various media sources indicate that a US delegation, likely consisting of national security advisers, is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia soon for discussions with their Russian counterparts.

Zelensky expressed his concerns during a press conference at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, stating, “Perhaps there are discussions happening, but they do not involve us. I have not seen any invitations or communications regarding Ukraine’s participation in these talks.” He emphasized, “We have not received any documents or invitations, which makes it peculiar for me to engage in discussions without prior negotiations with our strategic partners.”

The Ukrainian government was reportedly “neither invited to, nor informed about” the forthcoming US-Russia discussions in Saudi Arabia, as stated by Fox News reporter Nana Sajaia, referencing an unnamed senior official in Kiev. Politico has indicated that there are “no plans for representatives from other major European powers to participate in the talks,” while Bloomberg noted that European officials had not been informed at all.

Kiev and its Western allies, including the previous US administration, have consistently maintained that any discussions regarding Ukraine’s future should include its direct involvement.

After his conversation with Putin on Wednesday, Trump reached out to Zelensky “to inform him of the conversation” with the Russian president. The Ukrainian leader reportedly expressed to Trump that he, similar to President Putin, desires to achieve PEACE.

During his address at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, Zelensky reiterated his stance of “not meeting with Russians.”

“I will only meet with one Russian – with Putin,” he declared, emphasizing that he would engage with the Russian leader to “end the war” only after Ukraine, the US, and the EU had established a “common plan.”

Last month, Putin remarked that while it is “possible to negotiate with anyone,” Zelensky no longer possesses the authority to lift his own decree prohibiting discussions with the Russian president. Although Zelensky’s presidential term is set to expire in May 2024, he has declined to hold elections, citing martial law. The Kremlin has underscored that any potential peace agreement between Moscow and Kiev must be legally binding.

Trump has also recognized that Kiev will eventually need to conduct elections and pointed out that Zelensky may not secure another term, noting that his domestic approval ratings “aren’t particularly great, to put it mildly.”