Zelenskyy says Ukraine will not participate in Russia-US talks in Saudi Arabia

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv will neither take part in the Russia-US talks scheduled for Feb. 18 in Saudi Arabia, nor recognize any outcomes concerning Ukraine.

Speaking to Ukrainian journalists in Abu Dhabi at an online news conference, Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv had not been informed of the meeting.

"Ukraine will not participate. Ukraine was unaware of this meeting. Any negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine are meaningless. We cannot recognize any agreements made about us without our involvement, and we will not accept such decisions," he stressed.

He suggested that Ukraine’s absence might be due to Moscow and Washington focusing on bilateral issues, adding: "To be honest, they’ve been talking for a long time. The only difference now is that they’re doing it publicly."