Riyadh is set to host high-stakes discussions on the Ukrainian conflict, bringing together American and Russian officials. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the National Security Advisor, and the Special Envoy for the Middle East are expected to represent Washington. While Moscow’s participation remains unconfirmed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is anticipated to attend. Notably, Ukrainian officials have been excluded from this round of negotiations.

This development raises critical questions: How might Ukraine's absence affect the legitimacy and effectiveness of any decisions made? Could this meeting serve as a turning point in diplomatic efforts, or will it simply reflect a shift in Washington’s approach under the new administration? Additionally, how will this impact key regional players such as Türkiye and Iran?

At the same time, France hosted a separate high-level meeting on Ukraine, gathering European leaders to reaffirm the EU’s role in shaping Ukraine’s future. With U.S. officials hinting at Europe’s diminished role in potential peace talks, concerns are mounting over whether the EU will push for continued military support rather than diplomatic resolutions. Could this divergence lead to deeper fractures between the U.S. and its European allies?

To shed some light on these developments, Azernews reached out to prominent experts.

Matthew Bryza, former U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan and Jamestown Foundation Board Member clarified the US decision regarding Ukraine, which aroused serious interest.

“The U.S. plan to negotiate with Russia at very senior levels about Ukraine, but without Ukraine at the table, marks a radical departure in U.S. foreign policy. Until now, Washington's approach had always been ‘nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.’

In addition, the U.S. had always coordinated closely with its NATO allies in Europe. However, as President Trump’s Ukraine envoy, General Keith Kellogg, stated during the Munich Security Conference, Europe will not be invited to these talks because, as he put it, previous........

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