Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has firmly stated that his country will not acknowledge any peace agreements made without its direct involvement.
His remarks come ahead of a significant meeting in Riyadh between senior officials from Russia and the United States to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, talks that notably exclude both Kyiv and Europe.
“Ukraine regards any negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine as ones that have no result, and we cannot recognise any agreements about us without us,”
Zelenskyy asserted on Monday. He also confirmed that Ukraine had no prior knowledge of these discussions and would not be participating.
The urgency to arrange US-Russia talks gained momentum after a recent phone conversation between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, during which they explored the possibility of initiating negotiations.
The Riyadh meeting will be the first face-to-face engagement between senior representatives of both nations in years, following a severe deterioration in relations after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
High-ranking officials from both the US and Russia are attending, reflecting the importance attached to the discussions, which could pave the way for a Trump-Putin summit in the near future.
The American delegation includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and White House national security adviser Mike Waltz, all of whom arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday.
Representing Russia, President Putin has dispatched his top foreign policy advisor, Yuri Ushakov, alongside veteran Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, emphasized that the meeting’s agenda would center on preparing for potential negotiations on Ukraine and arranging a summit between Trump and Putin.
According to a TASS report, Lavrov made it clear on Monday that Russia is not willing to cede any territory to Ukraine as part of the talks.
Moscow claims to have annexed Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, despite not having full control over these areas.
While the Russian delegation is prepared to hear out their US counterparts, Lavrov maintained that European nations “have no place at the negotiating table.”
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy, speaking from the United Arab Emirates during an official visit, announced plans to visit Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
However, he stressed that his trip was unrelated to the ongoing negotiations between Russia and the US.
“My visits have nothing in common with those talks. Although when I arrive in Saudi Arabia, I will ask His Majesty what he knows about the topics of the talks,” he said.
Additionally, Zelenskyy confirmed that Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, is expected in Kyiv on Thursday.
He expressed his intention to take Kellogg to the frontline, where they would meet Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, along with brigade leaders.
“We are waiting for Kellogg. We had an agreement that he would come to us on the 20th. He will be there for two days and maybe more. I want to go to the front with him and he will go to the front with me. I think he will not refuse,” Zelenskyy stated.
He reiterated that Europe must be included in any negotiation process, represented by a figure who commands respect on the continent.
While he did not rule out China’s involvement, he stressed that only those who can offer credible security guarantees to deter Russian aggression should be included.
Trump, meanwhile, suggested on Sunday that Zelenskyy might have a role in future discussions but did not specify at what stage or whether Ukrainian officials would be allowed into the Riyadh meeting.
Also participating in the talks on the Russian side is Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund.
Dmitriev, a sanctioned financier and reportedly a close associate of Putin’s daughter, is expected to serve as a key backchannel between Moscow and Trump’s team.
“A heavyweight Russian delegation is departing for Riyadh. All are loyal and trusted insiders,” wrote liberal commentator Alexei Venediktov on his Telegram channel.
Saudi Arabia has emerged as a key mediator between Washington and Moscow, playing a pivotal role in securing a prisoner exchange last week.
Peskov noted that Riyadh was chosen as the meeting location because it was convenient for both nations.
The rapid pace of diplomatic maneuvering has heightened concerns among European leaders, who feel sidelined.
During the recent Munich Security Conference, Kellogg informed European officials that while they would be consulted, they would not be directly involved in the negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and the US.
French President, Emmanuel Macron, responded by convening an emergency meeting in Paris with other European leaders.
A senior European official expressed frustration over the lack of transparency, saying, “We feel like we’re constantly left in the dark… At the moment, we’re running behind the news. Our goal now is to show what we can bring to the table.”
Despite the intense diplomatic activity, little has been revealed about Trump’s proposed peace strategy or Moscow’s willingness to engage in a meaningful settlement.
The US has previously suggested deploying European peacekeeping troops to Ukraine if a ceasefire or peace deal is reached,an idea currently under discussion among European leaders.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer indicated on Sunday that the UK is open to sending troops to Ukraine if a peace agreement with Russia is achieved.
While Russia has repeatedly dismissed the prospect of European forces entering Ukraine, the Kremlin appeared to adopt a more cautious stance on Monday.
Peskov described the issue as “complex,” signaling a potential shift in rhetoric.
