Trump to Hold Meeting with Putin in Saudi Arabia for Ukraine Peace Talks

United States President Donald Trump announced that he will be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia to hold peace negotiations on the conflict in Ukraine. This comes after a “productive” telephone call between the two presidents, the first direct interaction since Trump returned to the White House. Trump has been pushing for a quick end to the war, and indicated that the negotiations will entail talks on Ukraine’s future, although Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was not part of the call.

Trump dismissed that Ukraine would be left out of the negotiations and emphasized that he and Putin both vowed to work closely together on peace efforts. Trump also indicated that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would be part of the talks. The statement, however, has raised concerns that Ukraine’s interests may not be properly considered in the negotiations.

Trump also ruled out Ukraine’s inclusion in NATO as “impractical.” At the same time, European leaders urged that any peace settlement had to include Ukraine’s involvement.