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By Maya Mehrara
News Reporter
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Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has denied reports of a new meeting between Russian and U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia in a statement to Russian news agency TASS.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of State for comment via email outside of business hours.
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Why It Matters
By excluding Russia from the bilateral peace talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia, the Trump administration may be signalling more willingness to revive the relationship that was shaken by Zelensky's fiery meeting with Trump and allies in the Oval Office.
Russia has recently also poured cold water on the speculation surrounding more direct talks between Moscow and Washington, including a possible in-person Trump-Putin meeting, while the Russian leader reiterated his stance on making concessions.
What To Know
Speaking to TASS journalists, Zakharova refuted reports that representatives of the U.S. and Russia would meet once more in Saudi Arabia, saying, "It is not planned. Moreover, no such information has been received from the American side."
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson's statement follows CNN's report that the U.S. would conduct separate talks with Ukrainian and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia this week, claims that the news outlet attributes to unidentified source familiar with the plans, and that Newsweek cannot corroborate independently.
The CNN source did not say who would be present for the talks. Earlier President Donald Trump appeared to confirm the reported plans, speaking to the press at Air Force One on March 9, and saying, "We have big meetings coming up. As you know, it's Saudi Arabia that's going to include Russia. It'll be Ukraine. We'll see if we can get something done."
Russia's dismissal of the reports comes as senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials prepare to meet in the Middle Eastern country this week to discuss the prospects of ending the three-year conflict, following Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump's explosive meeting at the White House on February 28.
The meeting will take place on Wednesday, and beforehand, Zelensky will meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He will then stay to "work with our American partners" to hammer out a deal.
Zelensky announced in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that his delegation for the meeting will include Andriy Yermak, his chief of staff, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa.
The meeting swiftly follows Trump's order to halt the provision of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, as well as his ban on allies sharing U.S.-generated intelligence with Kyiv.
What People Are Saying
In a post on X, Zelensky wrote: "We continue working with partners who seek peace just as we do, focusing on the necessary steps. Next week, there will be a lot of work here in Europe, with the U.S., and in Saudi Arabia – we are preparing a meeting to accelerate peace and strengthen the foundations of security. Today, intense work with President Trump's team has been ongoing at various levels – numerous calls. The topic is clear – peace as soon as possible, security as reliably as possible. Ukraine is fully committed to a constructive approach. I thank everyone who is helping."
Anton Gerashchenko, the former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, wrote on X: "Minerals deal won't be enough to restart US aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine - NBC News Trump aides report that if Ukraine signs the critical minerals deal during the meeting with the US in Saudi Arabia next week, the aid will not be restarted. President Trump has made it clear in private conversations that he wants Ukraine to change its stance on peace negotiations, including a willingness to make concessions to Russia. He also wants some movement towards elections in Ukraine."
U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told reporters outside the White House on March 6: "President Zelensky sent a letter to the president, I think the president thought it was a really good positive first step, and from that, we have now, we are now in discussions to coordinate a meeting with the Ukrainians in Riyad, or even in Jeddah, so the city's moving around a little bit, but it will be Saudi Arabia, and I think the idea is to get down a framework for a peace agreement, and an initial ceasefire as well."
What Happens Next
Although Trump has previously spoken with Putin on the phone, and U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia in February, it is currently unclear when the two leaders will speak again about ending the war in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov previously said that preparations are underway for Trump and Putin to meet but did not provide any other details.
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