Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the Middle East as the United States prepared to hold talks in Saudi Arabia with Russia on how to end Moscow’s war with Ukraine, but Zelenskyy said Kyiv was not invited and that he had no plans to participate in those discussions.
Zelenskyy, who landed in the United Arab Emirates late on February 16, said he was on a mission to boost economic ties in the region and that he would later travel to neighboring Saudi Arabia, also to discuss business matters.
The trip comes after Zelenskyy on February 15 said Kyiv had not been invited to attend U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia and that he had no intention of engaging in negotiations before consulting with his European allies.
"We don’t have any papers, any invitations, and it's something strange for me to speak in this case, in this format, if before we don't have any negotiations between us and our strategic partners," he said during the Munich Security Conference. "
"As I remember, Russia is not our strategic partner," he added.
White House officials earlier said President Donald Trump is sending a senior team to Saudi Arabia to begin negotiations with Russia.
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Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy Responds To Question About Saudi Peace Talks
On February 16, Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff said he would travel to Saudi Arabia along with national-security adviser Mike Waltz for talks on how to end Russia's war on Ukraine.
"Hopefully we'll make some really good progress," Witkoff told Fox News.
Speaking to CBS, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived in Israel on February 15 after traveling to the Munich conference, said the next few days would determine whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about peace in Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian government delegation’s visit to Saudi Arabia began with a meeting with almost 100 local entrepreneurs. Strengthening our economic ties is strengthening our peoples, our regions, and global security,” Economics Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said from the Middle East nation.
But Mykhaylo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Zelenskyy, said that "there are no negotiators who will represent Ukraine in Saudi Arabia" in any peace talks.
"Today, there is nothing on the negotiating table that could be discussed. Russia is not ready for negotiations," he told Ukrainian TV following Zelenskyy’s comments on February 15.
Separately, European leaders are expected to gather in Paris for an emergency meeting on the war in Ukraine. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte are among those expected to attend the February 17 meeting.
The summit is in response to concerns that Washington is pursuing peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine that will sideline Europe.
Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, caused a stir when he said Europe may not be "at the table" if the United States brokers negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
Speaking at a panel in Munich on February 15, Kellogg suggested Washington is aiming to make substantial progress within weeks, saying he is operating "on Trump time."
Nevertheless, amid concerns in Kyiv and the European Union that they could be sidelined after Trump spoke to Putin this week and said Moscow and Washington would start negotiations immediately.
But Kellogg and other U.S. officials later said Ukraine and Europe would not be left out.
"You've got to bring the allies with you. Are they going to play a part? Of course they are. You can't do it at the exclusion of anyone," Kellogg said. "We want to make sure it's lasting and it's sustainable peace."
Asked whether he could assure the audience that "the Ukrainians will be at the table and the Europeans will be at the table," however, Kellogg replied, "Oh, well you just changed the whole dynamic.”
"The answer to that last question...is no," he said, apparently referring to Europe. "The answer to the earlier part of that question is yes -- of course the Ukrainians are going to be there."
Zelenskyy and EU leaders have expressed opposition to any talks that would exclude their negotiators from the process.
“I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine, never,” Zelenskyy told NBC's Kristen Welker on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
SEE ALSO: Europe May Not Be 'At The Table' For Ukraine Peace Talks, Trump's Envoy SaysEU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned against a "quick fix" and a "dirty deal" to end the conflict, insisting no peace deal can be implemented without the involvement of Europe and Ukraine.
She added that "appeasement also always fails" and "Ukraine will continue to resist, and Europe will continue to back Ukraine."
Addressing the Munich conference, Zelenskyy called on European countries to create a common army in the face of possible U.S. disengagement and the threat from Russia.
"The time has come, the armed forces of Europe must be created," he said.
"If the Americans decided to go that way, decreasing their presence, it's not good, of course, it's very dangerous," he said, speaking in English.
On the sidelines of the Munich conference, the G7 industrialized nations reaffirmed their "unwavering support for Ukraine."