Senior officials from the U.S. and Russia will meet in Saudi Arabia next week to prepare for a possible meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on a truce in Ukraine – it could take place before the end of the month, Bloomberg reported.
The details of the meeting and the list of participants are still being finalized, but the group will likely consist of national security advisers. The goal is to decide on a date before the start of the holy month of Ramadan in March, the agency’s interlocutor explained.
Most Europeans have not yet been informed. Ukrainian officials are also expected to attend the summit, but they are also probably not fully aware of the preparations, Bloomberg noted.
U.S. Presidential National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Whitkoff are expected to lead the talks, raising questions about the role of U.S. Presidential Special Envoy for Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg.
On the Russian side, Yuri Ushakov, assistant to the Russian president for foreign policy issues, former MP and head of the SVR Sergei Naryshkin, and Kirill Dmitriev, financier and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, are expected to lead the talks.
