Peace talks commence without Ukraine, Europe

1 CommentCommentary, Government, White House

As of today, peace talks between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine are advancing, with a significant meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (a negotiations rookie) and wily Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (masterminding this kind of stuff since 2004), the discussions aim to end the nearly three-year war, marking a shift in U.S. policy under President Trump to engage directly with Moscow.

The Trump Peace Talks have begun

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has voiced strong objections, insisting Kyiv must be included, warning that agreements without Ukraine’s involvement will be rejected. He reiterated this stance during a visit to the UAE, emphasizing that unilateral U.S.-Russia deals threaten Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Here, Zelensky shuts down the Trump-Putin Peace talks, demands $250B from the West to keep the war from ending. He says he will not accept any peace deal negotiated by Trump and Putin.

Europe, meanwhile, is grappling with its exclusion from the talks. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stormed out of a crisis summit, decrying the sidelining of European voices, while the UK’s Keir Starmer urged a unified European front to counterbalance U.S. moves.

Following the talks in Paris, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that any debate now on sending peacekeepers to Ukraine was “completely premature” and “highly inappropriate” while the war is ongoing.

Fears persist that Trump may withdraw U.S. military support from the Baltics, leaving Europe vulnerable to Russian aggression. The U.S. has pressed European allies to detail post-war support plans for Ukraine, highlighting tensions over burden-sharing.

Key issues include Russia’s refusal to cede occupied territories, as stated by Lavrov, and Zelensky’s demand for security guarantees.

The talks are preliminary. Much hot air is being vented. Talking to the protagonists one at a time is usually the ways these things start. Trump/Rubio will presumably go to Zelensky with the opening gambit for peace talks.