Zelenskyy: Ukraine was unaware of Russia-US talks in Saudi Arabia and will not recognise them
Ukraine will not be participating in upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia and will not recognise any agreements made on Ukraine without Kyiv’s involvement.
Source: Zelenskyy, commenting on the talks in Saudi Arabia between Russian and US representatives, quoted by Interfax-Ukraine
Quote from Zelenskyy: "Ukraine will not participate [in the talks]. Ukraine did not know anything about them. And Ukraine considers any negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine to be useless. And we cannot recognise anything or any agreements about us without us. And we will not recognise such agreements."
Details: The head of state noted that there is a bilateral track in these negotiations, "and they have the right to do that if they have bilateral issues". Zelenskyy added that this had been discussed before, but only now have they "begun to speak publicly".
Zelenskyy said his official visit to Saudi Arabia on 18 February "has no connection with the things happening in Saudi Arabia at the level of the US and Russian representatives".
The president added that he would ask Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman about the talks.
He also said that he would raise the issue of lowering oil prices during his visit and believes that US President Donald Trump may do so too.
Quote from Zelenskyy: "I don't know who can reduce prices. I believe that President Trump has the greatest power to do this, and he is the strongest in this area, in the energy sector, and controls it. And I think that if he set the goal, he could do it."
Background:
- On Monday 17 February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Saudi Arabia for talks between US and Russian delegations on resolving the war in Ukraine.
- According to Axios, the meeting between the Russian and US officials will take place on Tuesday, 18 February.
- On 16 February, Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said that no meetings with Russians are planned until a plan to end the war has been developed.
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