Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to hold talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky "if necessary", the Kremlin has confirmed. The announcement came as top Russian and US diplomats are holding a meeting in Saudi Arabia today with an aim to find an agreement to end the years-long war in Ukraine.
Strangely, today's Russia-US meeting in Saudi Arabia, with the Ukraine war high on the agenda, has no seat for Ukranian diplomats. President Zelensky has said that "Kyiv cannot recognise any agreements or things discussed about us without us."
European nations and NATO allies are concerned too over what they describe as Washington's sudden change in policy towards Moscow. In fact, the meeting in Riyadh will also see if there is a possibility for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to hold a summit together with an aim to bridge the gap between Washington and Moscow.