Donald Trump has expressed disappointment with Ukraine’s reaction to not being invited to talks in Saudi Arabia on ending the war with Russia. Trump appeared to blame Ukraine for starting the war, saying the country “could have made a deal” earlier.
The US and Russia held high-level talks in Riyadh, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meeting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The two sides agreed to appoint teams to start negotiating the end of the war.
Lavrov stated that Moscow would not accept peacekeeping forces from NATO countries in Ukraine under any peace deal. Trump said he was “much more confident” after the talks and believed Russia wanted to end the conflict.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, expressed concern that Ukraine was not involved in the talks and that decisions were being made without their input. Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine wanted a fair and just solution to the conflict.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia began in 2014, with Russia annexing Crimea and backing separatists in eastern Ukraine. The situation escalated into a full-scale war in February 2025 with Russia launching a large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The war has resulted in significant human suffering, with hundreds of thousands of people killed or injured, and millions displaced. The international community has imposed sanctions on Russia and provided support to Ukraine, but a peaceful resolution to the conflict remains elusive.
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