A possible meeting was proposed during the leaders’ 90-minute phone conversation on Wednesday
Saudi Arabia said on Friday that it commended the phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump and welcomed the idea of them meeting in the Kingdom.
Putin and Trump spoke for nearly 90 minutes by phone on Wednesday. The call marks the first known direct interaction between the US and Russian heads of state since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022.
Hours after the phone call on Wednesday, Trump told journalists at the White House that the talks would take place in Saudi Arabia.
“The Kingdom welcomes holding the summit in its territory and affirms its continued efforts to achieve lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine, which began since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis,” the statement read. Riyadh added it has continued these efforts over the past three years.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has repeatedly talked with Zelensky and Putin, and offered assistance in peace talks to both Moscow and Kiev. In December 2023 he visited Russia, where he held talks with Putin. The Ukraine conflict, as well as oil prices, OPEC+, and the Gaza conflict, were on the agenda of the trip.
The US president also announced on Thursday that American and Russian officials would meet on the sidelines of the event in Munich on Friday, with Ukraine also invited to participate. However, no such meeting has been announced by the conference or media outlets.
US and Ukrainian delegations have met on the sidelines of the conference, with Zelensky concluding he is ready to move as quickly as possible toward real and guaranteed peace. He said he would meet with only one Russian, Putin, but only when he has a joint plan with the US president and Europe.
US Vice President J.D. Vance also insisted on the start of direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. “It’s important for us to get together and start to have the conversations that are going to be necessary to bring this thing to a close,” he said.
