United States, Russia, to begin Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia
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The two delegations will meet while excluding Ukraine and Europe from the discussions, prompting European countries to hold a summit in Paris.
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President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit, on June 28, 2019. (AP)
High-level delegations from the United States and Russia will meet on Tuesday to discuss the end of the war in Ukraine.
Reportedly, the Russian delegation consists of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Policy Advisor Yuri Ushakov, and the US delegation consists of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
The meeting follows phone calls between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Donald Trump, and between Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky, aimed at ending the war which has been ongoing for three years.
Ukraine was not invited to these talks, nor were European leaders, prompting concerns from Europe regarding Washington's disregard of their security concerns, especially following talks between Trump and Putin last week.
Europe scrambles for involvement in peace talks
Trump's bid to achieve peace in Ukraine is ignoring European leaders and even Ukrainian leader Zelensky, forcing European leaders to scramble for some involvement in the process to get security guarantees for the region.
French President Macron spoke with his Ukrainian and American counterparts on Tuesday regarding durable peace in Ukraine, stating that Europe, the US, and Ukraine are working together towards a "strong and lasting peace" and emphasizing the need for "strong and credible" security guarantees.
France urged European nations to strengthen their collective security, emphasizing that US policy shifts require Europe to act more decisively, as Macron invited European leaders from Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark, along with EU and NATO officials.
The summit became more urgent after JD Vance's remarks at the Munich Security Conference, which blamed Europe for its "self-inflicted political instability."
In a similar context, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his willingness to deploy troops to Ukraine "if necessary" hours before the meeting between European leaders in Paris, affirming that "any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country."
The convention in Paris focused on the potential deployment of European troops from several countries to Ukraine and stepping up defense spending as Europe finds itself forced to call for a strong and independent security strategy for the continent.
