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Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, on Monday arrived in Saudi Arabia, where discussions with Russian officials aimed at ending the war in Ukraine are set to take place.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov arrived in Riyadh later in the day. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks would focus primarily on “restoring the entire complex of US-Russian relations, as well as preparing possible talks on the Ukrainian settlement and organising a meeting of the two presidents".
Mr Rubio was in Tel Aviv before heading to Riyadh, where he is set to meet Saudi leaders before continuing on to the UAE. It is his first tour of the Middle East in his new role in President Donald Trump's administration.
Accompanying Mr Rubio on the trip are Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. The talks, scheduled for Tuesday, follow a phone conversation between Mr Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, after which the US President directed senior officials to initiate negotiations on the war in Ukraine, which he repeatedly vowed to end during his presidential campaign.
Saudi Arabia has positioned itself increasingly as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, leveraging its ties with both sides. Analysts suggest Mr Trump’s choice of Riyadh as the venue for the talks is a logical move.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also in the region. He told reporters in Kyiv in a video conference on Monday from the UAE that Ukraine “knew nothing about” the talks, which will have “no result” without its involvement.
“We cannot recognise anything or any agreements about us without us,” he said.
Mr Zelenskyy added that he plans to ask Saudi officials during meetings this week about the details of the US-Russia talks. He is set to arrive in Riyadh on Wednesday — a visit that was planned in advance and is unrelated to the US-Russia discussions.
At the weekend, Mr Zelenskyy told US media he informed Mr Trump that the Russian President is pretending he wants a deal only because he is “afraid of him”.
Future of Gaza
Mr Rubio met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, where discussions are likely to focus on Mr Trump’s proposal for the resettlement of Gaza’s Palestinian population into other Arab nations, with the US then leading the reconstruction of Gaza.
The plan has faced fierce resistance across the region. Arab nations, including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, have strongly opposed the proposal, forming a united front to block it. Even Washington’s closest allies in the region have recoiled at the idea.
Gaza has been devastated by the war that broke out when Iran-backed militants Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage, according to Israeli tallies. The offensive Israel launched in response killed more than 48,200 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, before an agreement reached last month brought about the current fragile ceasefire, which is still holding.
Prince Mohammed has repeatedly said Saudi Arabia would not establish relations with Israel – a long-standing US goal – without a clear agreement on a pathway to Palestinian statehood.
After meeting with Mr Rubio, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was working to make Mr Trump's plan to remove and resettle Gaza's population “a reality”.
Iran mediation
Reports emerged ahead of Mr Rubio’s visit that Saudi Arabia is open to mediating between the Trump administration and Iran to bring about a new agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme, according to CNN. This comes after a series of regional shifts, including the weakening of Iran's allied forces in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia's willingness to act as an intermediary reflects its strategic interest in regional stability and preventing Iran from advancing its nuclear capabilities. The kingdom aims to use its relationship with Mr Trump to provide a diplomatic channel for Iran to engage with the US, CNN reported.
Israel and the US remain committed to countering Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional influence, Mr Netanyahu said on Sunday after his meeting with Mr Rubio.
Saudi Arabia and Iran restored diplomatic ties in March 2023, in a deal brokered by China.
