Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are being considered by the aggressor country of russia as possible venues for talks between US President Donald Trump and russian dictator vladimir putin, Reuters reported on Monday, February 3, citing two russian sources familiar with the matter.
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any direct contact with the US to prepare for a phone call between Trump and putin, but senior russian officials have visited both Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent weeks. One of the sources said there was some opposition in russia to holding peace talks in either of these countries, as they have close military and security ties with the United States.
"Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are being considered by russia as possible locations for a summit between US President Donald Trump and russian president vladimir putin. Trump has said he will end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible and said he is ready to meet with putin. Putin congratulated Trump on his election and said he is ready to meet with Trump to discuss Ukraine and energy," the report said.
At the same time, Trump and putin have developed friendly relations with the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and the leaders of these countries have also maintained regular contacts with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Both Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have maintained neutrality throughout the war in Ukraine.
The UAE President said in October 2024 that he is ready to support efforts to find peace in Ukraine. The UAE has also successfully mediated a prisoner exchange. None of these countries are members of the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for putin.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, US President Donald Trump said that his administration plans to hold "meetings and talks" with representatives of Ukraine, russia and "various parties".
On February 2, US President Donald Trump's special representative for Ukraine and the russian federation, Keith Kellogg, said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had promised to soften his position on territorial issues.
On February 3, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was closer to peace than ever during these three years of war.
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