Secretary of State Rubio laid out the three points that are key to the US, namely to reestablish consular services in Russia and the US for the respective nations, to appoint a high-level diplomatic team to secure an enduring peace, and to begin to create economic and geopolitical cooperation between Russia and the US. The US is also interested in developing the mineral deposits that lie beneath Ukraine's soil.
Zelensky said that Ukraine will not yield to Russian President Vladimir Putin's “ultimatums” and announced that he canceled his visit to Saudi Arabia, which was separate from the peace talks. He was critical of both the United States and Russia for holding the peace talks without Ukraine. Leaders from Europe were also not invited and were also annoyed by that slight. The US has poured some $200 billion into Ukraine while the EU combined has sent about half that.
"I wonder why they believe Ukraine would accept all these ultimatums now if we refused them at the most difficult moment," Zelensky said, per the Daily Mail. Ukraine, he said, would not cede territory to Russia that Russia had taken during the war. Ukraine wants that land back.
Zelensky expressed anger over Ukraine's exclusion from the discussions in Riyadh, saying that his country would not accept the results of negotiations held without the country’s involvement.
"We were not invited to this Russian-American meeting in Saudi Arabia. It was a surprise for us. I think it was a surprise for many people," Zelensky said during a press conference. “We want it to be fair and that no one decides anything behind our backs."
Although the Trump administration has signaled that both Ukraine and European nations will eventually be involved in negotiations, the time for that has not been specified.
US and Russian officials engaged in over four hours of negotiations in Riyadh, with the Kremlin noting that the meeting "went well." The US had previously assured that Ukraine and Europe would be involved in any "real negotiations" to end the war.
According to the Mail, the discussions included talks about creating a mechanism to address "irritants to or bilateral relationship" as well as he goal of normalizing diplomatic relations, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
Bruce added that both sides were working toward ending the Ukraine conflict "as soon as possible in a way that is enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all sides."
