Former U.S. President Donald Trump has commended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for facilitating high-level discussions in Riyadh aimed at resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Trump described Saudi Arabia’s role in hosting the talks as a "great job" and expressed optimism about finding a resolution to the ongoing war.
The meeting, held on Tuesday in the Saudi capital, brought together senior officials from the United States and Russia, with Saudi representatives also in attendance. However, Ukrainian officials were notably absent from the discussions. According to Bloomberg, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had initially advocated for Ukraine’s inclusion, but both Washington and Moscow insisted on keeping the dialogue bilateral.
Trump, a vocal critic of U.S. involvement in Ukraine, reiterated his stance that the war would not have occurred under his presidency. He accused Ukraine of dragging the U.S. into what he described as an "unwinnable" conflict and claimed he could have brokered a deal that would have granted Ukraine "almost all of the land" while stopping short of specifying which territories would remain under its control.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined key takeaways from the talks, including plans to restore diplomatic staff at embassies, establish a high-level working group to support peace negotiations, and explore economic cooperation between the two nations.
The exclusion of Ukraine from the talks drew a sharp response from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who called it an unexpected development. He asserted that any negotiations concerning Ukraine without its direct participation would be "invalid." Zelenskyy had initially planned a visit to Saudi Arabia but postponed the trip to avoid overlapping with the U.S.-Russia discussions.
Following the talks, Trump stated that he felt "much more confident" about reaching a deal to end the war. He hinted at a potential meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month and expressed no objections to a European-led peacekeeping initiative in Ukraine.
As diplomatic efforts continue, the absence of Ukraine from the discussions raises questions about the feasibility of any agreements reached without direct input from Kyiv.
