(NewsNation) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Saudi Arabia on Monday for peace talks aimed at ending the nearly three-year-long war in Ukraine.
During the conversation, Rubio and Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman Al Saud “reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring that Hamas releases all hostages, including American citizens,” a statement from State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
“The Secretary underscored the importance of an arrangement for Gaza that contributes to regional security,” Bruce said. “They discussed ways to advance shared interests in Syria, Lebanon, and across the region, to include Red Sea security and freedom of navigation.”
While the U.S. has stated Ukraine will be included in the discussions this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country had not been invited to the table, raising concerns about the effectiveness of an agreement without Ukraine’s direct involvement.
The talks come as European nations consider stepping up to defend Ukraine.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he is “ready and willing” to deploy troops in Ukraine to enforce a peace deal.
“This isn’t just about the front line in Ukraine. It’s the front line of Europe and of the United Kingdom,” Starmer said. “It’s about our national security. And I think that we need to do more.”
European leaders are having their own emergency summit over the war on Monday, as they are currently excluded from the Saudi talks.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who is leading the European summit at the Elysee Palace, spoke to President Donald Trump by phone before it started.Details about the call were not immediately released.
Is Ukraine involved in peace talks?
Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and special envoy Steve Witkoff are set to meet with Russian officials in Riyadh on Tuesday, Bruce told reporters Monday.
Zelenskyy emphasized any deal made without Ukraine’s input is unacceptable.
“I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine. Never. And our people, never. And our adults, children and everybody, it can’t be so. The war in Ukraine is against us, and it is our human losses,” Zelsenkyy said.
Witkoff insists Ukraine has also been included in discussions, citing a recent meeting in Munich and a call with Trump.
Trump to meet with Putin ‘soon’
Witkoff spoke directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin for hours, and Trump teased a future meeting with Putin.
“Well, it’ll be soon. We’ll see what happens. But they’re meeting right now. And that’s more. I mean, this should have been done four years ago, three years ago, before it started. But it should have been done immediately after it started, as opposed to now, three years later,” Trump told reporters on Sunday.
During an NBC interview Sunday, Zelenskkyy compared the need to defend Ukraine to that of helping Israel against Iran, saying Ukraine needs similar security guarantees from the U.S. and Europe.
NewsNation’s Julia Eisen contributed to this report.