Media: Putin-Trump meeting could take place by late February

Senior officials from the United States and Russia are set to meet next week in Saudi Arabia to lay the groundwork for a potential summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, which could take place as soon as the end of February, sources familiar with the matter have revealed.

The meeting, expected to be held in Riyadh, aims to establish a timeline for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, with efforts focused on securing a summit date before the start of Ramadan in March. While details and the list of attendees are still being finalised, those briefed on the plans indicated that national security advisers from both sides are likely to participate, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

According to officials, most European leaders have not yet been informed about the discussions, and while Ukrainian representatives are expected to be involved, they reportedly remain only partially informed of the preparations.

On February 13, President Trump hinted at the possibility of a meeting with Putin in the Gulf kingdom, stating that Ukrainian officials would also take part in the talks. This follows a 90-minute phone call between Trump and Putin, marking their first direct conversation since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Saudi authorities have extended invitations to representatives from the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine, according to sources who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Saudi National Security Adviser Musaed Al-Aiban is expected to oversee the discussions, though plans remain subject to last-minute changes.

On the U.S. side, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and special envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to lead the negotiations. The role of special representative Keith Kellogg remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, President Putin is assembling a delegation of veteran negotiators, including his chief foreign-policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, who has five decades of diplomatic experience, and Sergei Naryshkin, a top intelligence official with a long history in the Soviet KGB. Additionally, financier Kirill Dmitriev—who has ties to both Stanford and Harvard as well as connections to Putin’s inner circle—may serve as an unofficial back-channel with Trump’s team.

By Vugar Khalilov