Two U.S. officials confirmed that Ukraine was not invited to the negotiations in Saudi Arabia, but stated that the U.S. intends to hold a bilateral meeting with Russia, followed by a bilateral meeting with Ukraine, and then conduct joint negotiations.
"This all indicates that we are engaging with both [countries] on equal terms," one of the officials said. He emphasized that the U.S. is working to "put an end to the killings and move towards a lasting peace."
According to sources, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Vitkoff are heading to the initial negotiations with the Russian Federation in Saudi Arabia.
It was noted that the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, defended the prospect of engaging with the illegitimate Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Munich Security Conference, stressing the need to "talk to adversaries."