Rubio to meet with Russian officials to discuss Ukraine peace negotiations
A team of President Trump's advisers are expected to meet with Russian officials next week to begin peace negotiations over the war in Ukraine, two U.S. government officials familiar with the details told CBS News Saturday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Mr. Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will head to Saudi Arabia for the meeting, the official said. The news comes after Mr. Trump disclosed that he held separate phone calls last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"We are moving along we are trying to get a peace with Russia-Ukraine. We are working very hard on it," Mr. Trump told reporters on Sunday after saying that he spoke to Secretary Rubio about the negotiations in Saudi Arabia.
When asked whether President Zelensky will be involved in peace negotiations amid concerns that Ukraine and Europe are left out of the conversation, Mr. Trump said yes, adding that he would allow Europeans to buy U.S.-made weapons for Ukrainians. He also noted that Putin wants to end the war, and disagreed with Zelenskyy who told NBC News on Sunday that Russia will wage war on NATO if the U.S. withdraws from the alliance.
In an interview that aired on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Rubio said the president "will know very quickly" whether peace conversations with Russia "is a real thing or whether this is an effort to buy time."
"I don't want to foreclose the opportunity to end a conflict that's already cost the lives of hundreds of thousands and continues every single day to be increasingly a war of attrition on both sides," Rubio said.
The Secretary of State on Saturday spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as a follow up to Mr. Trump's conversation with Putin, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
"The Secretary re-affirmed President Trump's commitment to finding an end to the conflict in Ukraine," Bruce said. "In addition, they discussed the opportunity to potentially work together on a number of other bilateral issues."
At the Munich Security Conference this week, European officials stressed the need for Ukraine to be part of peace talks to end the war. Vice President JD Vance met with Zelenskyy in Munich Friday, telling him the U.S. wants a "durable, lasting peace," while Zelensky asked for "security guarantees."
Zelenskyy told the conference of world leaders that Ukraine would not accept a deal made "behind our backs without our involvement," and called for the creation of "armed forces of Europe" amid the possibility of a changing relationship between Europe and the U.S.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that "everything is on the table" when it comes to negotiations, but he suggested it was unrealistic for Ukraine to expect NATO membership.
"As far as NATO is concerned, from many years before President Putin, I will tell you that I've heard that Russia would never accept that," Mr. Trump said when asked what Russia should give up in the negotiations. "So that's the way it is, and I think that's the way it's going to have to be."
Hegseth also cast doubt that Ukraine will be able to return to its pre-2014 borders, when Russia first invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea.
Putin and Mr. Trump are also expected to meet in Saudi Arabia "very soon," the president said Sunday, but didn't disclose when their meeting will take place. A Saudi spokesperson commended the phone call with Putin and the possible summit between the two leaders.
Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman also encouraged the deal between American and Russian officials that led to the return of the American teacher Marc Fogel this week after three-and-a-half years in a Russian prison.
