Zelensky cancels visit to Saudi Arabia

The Ukrainian leader said this during a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, according to Ukrinform.

“Decisions on how to end the war in Ukraine cannot be made without Ukraine, nor can certain conditions be imposed. We were not invited to this Russian-American meeting in Saudi Arabia — it came as a surprise to us, as I believe it did to many others. We learned about it from the media. I don’t know who will stay there, who will leave, or who is planning to go where. To be honest, I don’t really care. What matters to me is how our partners perceive us. We are absolutely honest and transparent. I don’t want any misunderstandings, which is why I will not be going to Saudi Arabia. We have contacted our partners there, and I have very good relations with His Royal Highness Mohammed [bin Salman]. We have agreed that I will make an official visit on March 10,” Zelensky said, answering a question from an Ukrinform correspondent,” Zelensky said, answering a question from an Ukrinform correspondent.

Negotiations between the U.S. delegation and Russian officials began in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met ahead of the talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

Among the U.S. officials present in Riyadh were National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

Representing Russia were Russia’s chief foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund — both of whom played a behind-the-scenes role in a recent prisoner release deal with the U.S.

The negotiations lasted over four hours, including a 15-minute break and “working lunch.”