Zelensky postpones ‘long-planned’ Saudi Arabia trip after US-Russia meet in Riyadh

A day after confirming a ‘long planned’ Saudi Arabia trip, amid a UK-Russia snub over Ukraine war peace talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky postponed his trip to Saudi Arabia, which was expected on Wednesday, suggesting he wants to avoid his visit being linked to US-Russia talks, Associated Press reported.

The Ukrainian president, on Tuesday, called for “fair” peace talks on Ukraine, seeking to end the Russian invasion of the country, arguing they should involve the European Union, Turkey and the UK.

The Ukrainian president criticised US-Russia talks in Riyadh, pointing out that they did not include a Ukrainian representative.

Talks “are taking place between representatives of Russia and representatives of the United States of America. About Ukraine – about Ukraine again – and without Ukraine,” Zelensky said.

“Ukraine, Europe in a broad sense – and this includes the European Union, Turkey, and the UK – should be involved in conversations and the development of the necessary security guarantees with America regarding the fate of our part of the world,” he said at a press conference in Ankara, as quoted by newswire AFP.

On Tuesday, US and Russian delegations agreed to “address irritants" to their bilateral relationship, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said after Tuesday's Riyadh talks.

What Did US-Russia Agree Upon in Riyadh?

• US and Russian diplomats have agreed to restart diplomatic relations between the two countries, and intend to appoint ambassadors ‘as soon as possible’ to help with resolving any tensions that may arise in bilateral relations
• As a second step, they intend to start formal consultations on a peace deal on Ukraine, with Russia waiting for the US to name its top team, and negotiations expected to follow on a “regular” basis.
• The talks would include discussions on territory and security guarantees, as the priority would be on making it “a permanent end to the war,” the US said but refused to discuss what it would mean for Crimea, for example.
• The US side has insisted that they would involve Ukraine and the European Union in the talks in some role, but without committing to giving them a place at the table. US state secretary Marco Rubio said that “everyone involved in that conflict has to be OK with it, it has to be acceptable to them”.

• Any postwar peace guarantee would have to be “European-led,” US officials said, repeating calls for European allies to increase defence spending and praising the UK and France for “talking about contributing more forcefully to Ukraine’s security”.
• But Russia ruled out any deployment of European peacekeeping forces to Ukraine, with Lavrov pointedly saying it would be “completely unacceptable” as he called NATO’s expansion eastwards “a direct threat to the Russian Federation”.
• In the longer term, both countries want to explore further geopolitical and economic cooperation, with Rubio praising “extraordinary opportunities,” but only if they agree on a peace deal for Ukraine first, the US said.