The USA will hold negotiations with Russia and Ukraine separately, and only after that will arrange joint talks between the countries, reports Politeka.net.
Two American officials confirmed that Ukraine was not invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia.
They explained that the Trump administration wants to first conduct bilateral meetings with Russia and Ukraine, and then organize a joint round of negotiations, after which discussions regarding the war between Ukraine, Russia, and the USA will take place.
In recent days, some members of the Trump administration have been reluctant to comment on potential concessions from Russia in the upcoming negotiations. In response to a question about what Russia should give up to reach an agreement with Ukraine, Trump refrained from providing specific details, as reported by Politeka.
"As for the negotiations, it's too early to say what will happen. Perhaps Russia will concede a lot, perhaps not, and it all depends on what occurs," Trump stated at a press conference alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Defense Secretary Pete Gegset hinted at a possible withdrawal of U.S. support for Ukraine's NATO membership as part of a peace agreement, noting that the U.S. might back negotiations in which Ukraine concedes territories already captured by the Kremlin.
Later, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Ukraine and Europe would be involved in any "real negotiations" to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine. He also noted that U.S. negotiations with Russia this week would help assess the seriousness of President Putin's intentions.
"Now this must be followed by actions, so in the coming weeks it will become clear whether this is serious or not. One phone call does not establish peace," the Secretary of State remarked.
Rubio thus sought to reassure Europe, explaining that it would not be excluded from the negotiations that took place in Saudi Arabia between Russia and the USA.
Source: Reuters.