Ukraine: Russian and U.S. Officials Meet, Other Western Officials Hold Separate Gathering

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov kicked off his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio in Riyadh, Orda reports.

The meeting's start follows President Trump's proposal for U.S.-Russia peace talks after his conversations with Putin and Zelenskyy. Ukraine's President has rejected any peace agreement without Ukraine's participation.

Meanwhile, European leaders gathered at the Élysée Palace in Paris, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

French President Emmanuel Macron called for increased investment in European security and emphasized the need for security guarantees for Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Tusk revealed that while no "binding decisions" were made, participants shared similar views on "key issues."

Scholz opposed any "division of responsibility between Europe and the US" regarding Ukraine's security and called discussions about peacekeeping forces "premature," stating that the shape of potential peace remains unclear.

On February 17, Lavrov rejected the possibility of territorial concessions to Ukraine and dismissed Europe's role in peace negotiations. Zelenskyy had also rejected a contract regarding minerals presented by Trump's team.

NBC News previously reported that U.S. officials outlined a planned negotiation format involving separate bilateral meetings with Russia and Ukraine, followed by joint talks.