[Anchor’s Comment]
High-ranking officials from the United States and Russia are set to meet in Saudi Arabia soon to engage in practical negotiations regarding the end of the war in Ukraine. With President Trump recently stating that a meeting with President Putin will take place very soon, there is keen interest in when this significant negotiation will happen. As the ceasefire negotiations between the two countries accelerate, Ukraine and Europe, excluded from the talks, have expressed strong opposition. Reporter Han Yeo-hye brings us the details.
[Reporter]
The United States will soon meet with Russia in Saudi Arabia to discuss plans to end the war in Ukraine.
▶ Interview: Mike Waltz / White House National Security Advisor
– “Following President Trump’s directive, we will continue the talks over the next few weeks.”
Steve Witkoff, the White House Special Envoy for the Middle East, also mentioned that he would depart for Saudi Arabia on the night of the 16th local time.
This is the first time U.S. authorities have officially confirmed that high-ranking officials from the U.S. and Russia will meet in Saudi Arabia amid speculations.
Following a phone call between President Trump and President Putin on the 12th, the subsequent actions were promptly initiated, leading the peace negotiations led by the two countries to gain momentum.
Ukraine, excluded from this Saudi meeting, expressed its dissatisfaction.
▶ Interview: Volodymyr Zelenskyy / President of Ukraine
– “We will never accept any decisions made between the United States and Russia regarding Ukraine.”
European countries, too, are displaying unease and urgency, as they indicate that key national leaders will hold an emergency meeting in Paris soon, concerned about being ‘bypassed’ by Europe.
The worries stem from the possibility that while Europe supports Ukraine’s NATO membership, the U.S. mentioned difficulties in joining NATO, raising concerns about negotiations favoring Russia.
If the talks prove successful, there are speculations that a summit between President Trump and President Putin might occur as early as the end of this month.
This is Han Yeo-hye from MBN News.
Video Editing: Lee Woo-joo
Graphics: Kim Kyu-min, Ko Hyun-kyung
Sources: FOX News Sunday, NBC Meet the Press, France Inter