Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Riyadh on Monday for high-level discussions with Saudi officials, aiming to advance diplomatic efforts between Russia and Ukraine.

According to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to arrive in the Saudi capital on Tuesday to participate in the negotiations.

Rubio, who traveled alongside White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, is leading the US delegation.

The discussions follow a phone call last week between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump has pledged to end the war in Ukraine as part of his administration’s foreign policy priorities.

The negotiations in Riyadh mark one of the most significant in-person meetings between senior US and Russian officials in recent years. These talks are expected to lay the groundwork for a future summit between Trump and Putin.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also in the region. He arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and is set to visit Saudi Arabia and Turkey.