Zelenskyy Vows Non-Recognition of Agreements Made Without Ukraine's Participation

Ukraine Excluded from US-Russia Peace Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that Ukraine will not recognize any peace agreements made without its participation. This comes as top Russian and US officials prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia for high-stakes talks on the war in Ukraine, excluding Kyiv and Europe from the negotiations.

Zelenskyy confirmed Ukraine's non-participation, stating they were not informed about the talks. The swift push for these talks followed a call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, where they discussed opening negotiations. The meeting in Riyadh will mark the first in-person discussions between top officials from both countries in years, after a sharp downturn in relations following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Both sides are sending high-level delegations, underscoring the importance they place on the talks, which could lay the groundwork for a Trump-Putin summit as early as this month. The US delegation will include senior aides like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

Moscow announced that Putin has tasked his most senior foreign policy envoy, Yuri Ushakov, and longtime foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, to travel to Saudi Arabia. The Kremlin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said the meeting "will be devoted to the preparation of possible negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement and the organization of a meeting between the two presidents."

In comments cited by Tass news agency, Lavrov said Russia has no intention of making territorial concessions to Ukraine during the peace talks. He added that Europe "has no place at the negotiating table."

Zelenskyy stressed that Europe must be at the table for negotiations and should be represented by a respected figure. He did not rule out China's participation but said only those who provide security guarantees against Russian aggression should be involved.

The blistering speed of talks has added to anxieties in Europe, which has been excluded. During the Munich security conference, Kellogg told European officials that while Europe would be consulted, it would ultimately be excluded from the negotiations.

Responding to the fast-moving talks, French President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency meeting with European leaders. "We feel like we're constantly left in the dark," a senior European official told the Guardian. "Our goal now is to show what we can bring to the table."

Despite the flurry of diplomacy, little is known about Trump's peace plan for Ukraine or Russia's willingness to engage. Ushakov, Putin's top foreign policy aide, sought to downplay expectations for the talks, noting that Moscow and Washington have yet to establish a framework for Ukraine peace negotiations. He added that the discussions in Riyadh would center on "agreeing on how to initiate negotiations to resolve the Ukrainian conflict.