Ukraine has balked at not being part of these talks and President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he would not implement an agreement that his nation had not been part of creating. However, the US supplies the bulk of the funding, supplies and weapons for the war Ukraine has been waging since Russia invaded their nation in February 2022, and it is unlikely that their efforts could continue without ongoing US support.
Human Events' own Senior Editor Jack Posobiec was invited to the negotiations by Secretary Bessent and attended those talks in Kiev. It was during that time that Trump spoke to Putin and Zelenskyy on the potential for a peace deal. Zelenskyy was not on board with the rare minerals plan.
Zelensky has said no to the US developing their mineral deposits. While his term was up in May 2024, Zelensky has said there would be no new elections until the war is over, per Ukrainian law that prevents elections from being held under martial law. It is unclear what leverage the leader of the war-torn nation would have if the two powers funding and furthering the war cease to do that.President Donald Trump spoke with Russia's Vladimir Putin last week and during that call the two men agreed to visit each other's nations. Ukraine was not invited to participate in the Saudi Arabian talks, nor were any European leaders. Europe has also been funding the war in Ukraine and has warned that Russia would seek to take over the entire continent if the US and Europe don't keep funding the war.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who was at the table in Riyadh, said that Trump did not want "an endless war in Europe that has turned into a meat grinder of people on both sides." Waltz said that the "entire global conversation has shifted" since Trump took office and that now the parties involved are talking about how and when to end the war and not if the war will end.
Rubio said, per the AP, that "the two side[s] agreed broadly to pursue three goals: to restore staffing at their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow, to create a high-level team to support Ukraine peace talks, and to explore closer relations and economic cooperation."
"Should this conflict come to an acceptable end, the incredible opportunities that exist to partner with the Russians geopolitically on issues of common interest and frankly, economically on issues that hopefully will be good for the world and also improve our relations in the long term," Rubio said.
