US and Russian officials are reportedly preparing for a high-level summit between Presidents Putin and Trump in Saudi Arabia.
According to Bloomberg and Politico, a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump is anticipated in Saudi Arabia later this month. Senior US officials will travel to Saudi Arabia next week for preliminary discussions to pave the way for the summit.
These reports follow a recent phone call between Trump and Putin—their first direct communication since the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. Both presidents agreed to pursue further dialogue and in-person meetings, initially in a neutral country.
President Trump, speaking to reporters after his call with Putin, indicated a Saudi Arabian meeting was “probably” in the works.
Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, suggests the US delegation will include national security advisors, aiming to finalize a summit date before Ramadan begins on February 28th.
Politico’s report names National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff as members of the US delegation traveling to Saudi Arabia. However, Ukraine-Russia talks envoy Keith Kellogg will reportedly not be attending.
Republican Representative Mike McCaul confirmed the Politico report’s account of the US team, adding that no other major European powers are currently involved. Bloomberg corroborates this, stating European officials haven’t been informed.
While Bloomberg mentions Ukrainian representatives are “expected” in Saudi Arabia, it also indicates they may lack full awareness of the preparations. A Fox News report, citing an unnamed senior Ukrainian official, claims Ukraine was neither informed of nor invited to the US-Russia talks.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the agreement for a preliminary meeting in a third country, followed by official state visits. While acknowledging Saudi Arabia was discussed, he stated no final decision on the venue had been made.
Saudi Arabia subsequently announced its willingness to host the summit.