Talks between US and Russian officials aimed at resolving the nearly three-year conflict in Ukraine are scheduled to take place in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh in the coming days. However, the Ukrainian side has not been invited to these talks, which is causing concern in Kyiv.

According to Reuters, the US delegation will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will be joined by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and the president's special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. The goal of the meeting is to discuss ways to end the hostilities in Ukraine and prepare for a possible summit between the presidents of the US, Russia and Ukraine. However, the participation of the Ukrainian side in these negotiations remains in question.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, while at the Munich Security Conference, said that Kyiv had not been invited to the upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia. He stressed that Ukraine would not participate in talks with Russia without prior consultations with its strategic partners. Zelensky also expressed surprise at reports of a possible meeting in Saudi Arabia, calling them "not serious talk."

Earlier, on February 14, US President Donald Trump announced plans to hold talks with high-ranking representatives of Moscow, Kyiv and Washington in Saudi Arabia next week. However, specific details and the level of upcoming contacts were not specified. On the same day, Zelensky announced his visits to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, noting that the purpose of the trips is to discuss the exchange of prisoners. At the same time, he ruled out the possibility of meetings with US and Russian representatives on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

The Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry has confirmed the kingdom's willingness to host talks between the parties, underlining its ongoing efforts to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine. However, the lack of an invitation to Ukraine raises questions about the legitimacy and effectiveness of such talks without the direct participation of one of the parties to the conflict.

Ukraine's European allies are also expressing concern about their possible exclusion from the peace process. French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk are planning an emergency summit in Paris to discuss the situation and develop a common position on European security. The meeting is expected to include leaders of key European countries, as well as representatives of the European Union and NATO.

At the same time, in a telephone conversation on February 15, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed on regular contacts to prepare for a summit. The official representative of the US State Department reported that the parties discussed the possibility of working together on a number of bilateral issues. The Russian side, in turn, announced its intention to establish a line of communication to resolve problems in relations between the US and Russia, as well as to work on removing unilateral barriers to mutually beneficial trade, economic and investment cooperation inherited from the previous US administration.

US Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff told Fox News that he is traveling to Saudi Arabia with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to hold meetings at the direction of the president. He expressed hope for significant progress in negotiations with Russia on Ukraine. However, Witkoff did not specify whether Ukraine would be invited to these talks, saying only that he considers Ukraine part of the negotiating process.