Top Trump administration officials are preparing for significant discussions with senior Russian officials, aiming to bring an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine. According to multiple sources, these talks are set to occur imminently, marking a critical step in international diplomatic efforts.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to travel to Saudi Arabia to engage with senior Russian officials. This information, confirmed by sources familiar with the plans, indicates that the meeting will occur in the coming days.
While specific Russian representatives attending the meeting have not been disclosed, the Kremlin is reportedly assembling a high-level team to engage in direct negotiations with the US. This team is expected to include top-level political, intelligence, and economic figures, including Kirill Dmitriev, who has played a crucial role in past US-Russia negotiations.
President Donald Trump announced earlier this week that negotiations to end the nearly three-year conflict in Ukraine would begin "immediately." This announcement followed a "lengthy and highly productive" phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which marked their first conversation since Trump took office last month. Trump has expressed a strong desire to swiftly resolve the Ukraine conflict.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul confirmed these plans during an interview at the Munich Security Conference. He stated, "Rubio and Waltz and Witkoff are being dispatched to Saudi to talk to the Ukrainians and the Russians about Ukraine."
President Trump indicated the possibility of meeting with Putin in Saudi Arabia soon, though he noted that no formal decision had been made. "We think we're going to probably meet in Saudi Arabia, the first meeting," Trump mentioned after his phone discussion with Putin.
The President emphasized the involvement of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the discussions. Witkoff acknowledged the crown prince's instrumental role in the recent release of wrongfully detained American Marc Fogel.
The State Department previously announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would travel to Saudi Arabia as part of a broader trip to Munich and the Middle East. Rubio, who recently arrived in Israel, held a call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, reaffirming President Trump's commitment to resolving the Ukraine conflict.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated, "The Secretary reaffirmed President Trump's commitment to finding an end to the conflict in Ukraine." The conversation also explored potential cooperation on other bilateral issues.
The Russian Foreign Ministry described the Lavrov-Rubio conversation as a "mutual commitment to cooperate on current international issues, including the resolution of the situation around Ukraine." Both parties agreed to maintain regular contact in preparation for a high-level Russian-American meeting.
The Trump administration's Russia-Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, emphasized the necessity for Moscow to make concessions to end the war in Ukraine. Kellogg highlighted territorial matters and the renunciation of force as potential areas for negotiation.
Kellogg noted, "Putin is not going to downsize his military forces," but the US aims to "force" Russia into actions it finds "uncomfortable." He suggested that disrupting Russia's alliances with Iran, North Korea, and China could be a strategic move.
Further, Kellogg proposed leveraging stricter sanctions to impact Putin's oil revenue, describing Russia as a "petrostate" heavily reliant on oil and gas funding for the war.
Kellogg asserted that Europeans would not be involved in the negotiations to resolve the Ukraine conflict. He emphasized the focus on a "dual track" approach, with separate Russian and Ukrainian negotiating tracks. Witkoff is managing the Russian track, while Kellogg oversees the American-Ukrainian allied line for expedience.
This story has been updated with additional information, incorporating insights from CNN's Alex Marquardt and Sebastian Shukla.
