Trump hails 'very good' US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia and dismisses Ukraine's concerns

American officials thank kingdom for hosting meeting

US President Donald Trump takes questions during the signing of executive orders at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on February 18. AFP

US President Donald Trump has described the talks between US and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia as “very good” and suggested he could meet Russian President Vladimir Putin before the end of the month, as Washington significantly changes its position on the war in Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Riyadh at the start of talks aimed at ending the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine. The convening of the two powers – without Ukraine or Europe at the table – marks a change in US foreign policy under Mr Trump, who has repeatedly vowed to bring the conflict to an end.

Saudi Arabian officials led Tuesday's talks, Russian state media reported. Riyadh has played a key role in establishing contact between Moscow and Washington, as well as bringing about prisoner exchanges. The US thanked the kingdom and the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for hosting the meeting.

“I just wanted to also take a moment, I think, on behalf of all of us and the President, to thank our partners in Saudi Arabia, to thank our hosts for bringing this together, and particularly Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his team,” National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said.

Mr Putin later on Wednesday also thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the talks. "I would like to express my sincere thanks to the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, not only for Riyadh hosting a high-level meeting between Russia and the United States but also for creating a very friendly atmosphere," he told reporters.

It was the first time US and Russian officials have sat down to discuss ways to halt the deadliest conflict in Europe since the Second World War, leaving Ukraine and its European allies sidelined. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday, and later cancelled a planned trip to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, in protest against Kyiv's exclusion from the US-Russia talks.

“I'm very disappointed. I hear that they're upset about not having a seat,” Mr Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida when asked about the Ukrainian reaction.

“Today I heard, ‘Oh well, we weren’t invited,’” the President said, referring to Ukraine’s complaints. “Well, you have been there for three years. You should’ve ended it after three years. You should’ve never started it. You could’ve made a deal,” he said, appearing to suggest Kyiv should have struck an agreement to prevent Moscow's invasion about three years ago.

“They want a seat at the table, but you could say … wouldn't the people of Ukraine have a say? It's been a long time since we've had an election,” Mr Trump said. Ukraine elected Mr Zelenskyy in 2019 for a five-year term but he has remained in office beyond that as the country is still under martial law.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the meeting in Riyadh was mainly focused on US-Russia bilateral ties but that it was a “very, very important step” towards reaching a settlement on the war in Ukraine.

When asked whether he would meet Mr Putin before the end of the month, Mr Trump said “probably,” without elaborating on a date. Last week, Mr Trump announced he had a phone call with his Russian counterpart and that the two leaders had agreed to start peace talks and to travel to meet each other in Moscow and Washington. The US President then said they would hold a first meeting, most likely also in Saudi Arabia.

Asked about the possible meeting, Mr Peskov said “possibly and possibly not”. The last meeting between the US and Russia was in 2021, when Mr Putin met with former president Joe Biden.

Mr Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, was in Kyiv on Wednesday in what he said was a mission to “sit and listen” to their concerns.