Rubio arrives in Saudi Arabia for talks on Ukraine war and Gaza crisis

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Saudi Arabia on February 17 ahead of expected talks with Russian officials aimed at ending Moscow's nearly three-year war in Ukraine.

The talks come after President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week and instructed top officials to begin negotiations on the war, which Trump has vowed to end throughout his presidential campaign, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

Riyadh, also engaged in talks with Washington over the future of the Gaza Strip, has facilitated early contacts between the Trump administration and Moscow, helping to secure a prisoner swap last week.

Rubio, who spoke by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on February 15, will meet Russian officials in Saudi Arabia alongside Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz and White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, according to a US lawmaker and a source. The exact Russian officials they will meet have not been confirmed.

Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that the talks will take place on February 18 in Riyadh, citing unnamed sources. These discussions are among the first high-level in-person meetings between Russian and US officials in years and are intended to precede a meeting between the US and Russian presidents.

Rubio stated that the coming weeks would determine whether Putin is serious about making peace.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also in the region. He arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and said he plans to visit Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, although no dates have been set. Zelenskyy clarified that he had no plans to meet with Russian or US officials, and Ukraine is not expected to be invited to the Saudi-hosted talks.

Rubio is also expected to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) in Saudi Arabia. One key agenda item is Trump’s proposal for Palestinian residents of Gaza to be resettled in other Arab nations, with the US leading the reconstruction of their homeland. This proposal has angered the Arab world and heightened fears among Palestinians in Gaza of being displaced.

Gaza, devastated by the war following the October 7, 2023, attack by Iran-backed Hamas militants on southern Israel, has seen over 48,000 Palestinian deaths in Israel’s response, according to Gaza health authorities. A ceasefire agreement reached last month has brought a fragile peace.

Saudi Arabia, along with other Arab nations, has rejected any plan involving Palestinian resettlement and is spearheading efforts for a counterproposal, potentially including a Gulf-led reconstruction fund and sidelining Hamas. MbS has also insisted that Saudi Arabia will not normalize ties with Israel without a path to Palestinian statehood.

Rubio visited Israel on February 16, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and pledging support for Israel in its regional rivalry with Iran.

By Tamilla Hasanova