Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has abruptly delayed his visit to Saudi Arabia following reports of a high-level meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Riyadh on February 18. The meeting, which sought to lay the groundwork for a future peace settlement between Moscow and Kiev, took place without Ukrainian participation or approval, a development that appears to have unsettled Zelensky and his administration.

Zelensky, who was in Türkiye at the time, announced his decision to postpone the visit, citing his desire to avoid “coincidences” with the US-Russia talks. Officially, his trip has been rescheduled for March 10, but the sudden change raises questions about Ukraine’s diminishing role in negotiations that will ultimately decide its fate.

A source familiar with the situation told Reuters that Ukraine “didn’t want to appear to give anything that happened in Riyadh any legitimacy.” This statement reflects growing concerns in Kiev that major decisions regarding Ukraine’s future are being made without its direct involvement.

The fact that Washington and Moscow are engaging in bilateral talks while excluding Ukraine suggests a shift in the diplomatic landscape. While the Biden administration once championed Ukraine’s sovereignty and supported Zelensky’s firm stance against negotiations with Moscow, the recent talks in Riyadh signal a pragmatic recalibration of US policy, likely influenced by changing political realities in Washington and the upcoming US presidential election.

US President Donald Trump, who remains the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, weighed........

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