Ukraine will not participate in the upcoming talks between U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters in Abu Dhabi, where he was visiting as part of a Middle East tour, which also includes Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Zelenskyy on February 17 said Ukraine was unaware of the U.S.-Russian talks in Saudi Arabia and considers any negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine to serve no purpose.
"We cannot recognize any agreements about us without us," Zelenskyy told reporters in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
"And we will not recognize such agreements," added Zelenskyy, who traveled on to Turkey after his U.A.E. stop.
Meanwhile, the U.S. presidential envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, told reporters that no one will force a peace deal on Zelenskyy, and that he and the people of Ukraine would make that call.
"Nobody will impose [a peace agreement] on an elected leader of a sovereign nation," Kellogg said.
He earlier 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. He later clarified to say that even if Europe were not "at the table," its views would be taken into account.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed those remarks, saying Ukraine and other European nations would be included in any meaningful negotiation sessions, if and when they take place.
"Ultimately, it will reach a point -- if it's real negotiations, and we're not there yet -- but if that were to happen, Ukraine will have to be involved because they're the ones that were invaded, and the Europeans will have to be involved because they have sanctions on [President Vladimir] Putin and Russia as well," Rubio said.
"We're just not there yet."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Putin's foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, arrived in Riyadh late on February 17, set to take part in bilateral talks with their U.S. counterparts in Saudi Arabia on February 18.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the meeting will focus on restoring relations between Moscow and Washington, while Ushakov told Russian state TV that the delegation would be approaching the talks with a "businesslike" attitude.
Upon arrival, Ushakov said that "the main thing is to achieve a real normalization of relations between us and Washington."
The United States will be represented by Rubio, who is already in Riyadh, national security-adviser Mike Waltz, and special envoy Steve Witkoff, the State Department confirmed.
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow with his Serbian counterpart ahead of the Saudi talks, Lavrov claimed that Europe had already had several chances to be involved in a settlement on Ukraine but that he didn't know how European politicians could contribute given that they want the war to continue.
While there are different views on Ukraine among European politicians, most agree that they want "a just and lasting peace" to be settled with Ukraine at the table.
U.S. President Donald Trump on February 16 insisted that Zelenskyy "will be involved" in any peace negotiations to end the Russian war, while he also stated that he could meet "very soon" with Putin. Trump did not specify details.
SEE ALSO: Ukraine Live Briefing: Starmer Says European Allies Preparing Peace PlanBloomberg, citing unnamed officials, reported on February 16 that Trump wants to secure a cease-fire by Easter, which falls on April 20 this year both for Western and Orthodox churches.
Trump told reporters his team has had "long and hard" talks with Russian officials and that Witkoff had spoken with Putin for three hours recently.
SEE ALSO: After Munich Conference, Zelenskyy And Allies Enter Uncharted WatersKellogg is expected to visit Ukraine on February 20, Zelenskyy said at a virtual press conference with Ukrainian reporters.
"I want him to visit the front line with me [...] We will meet [Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr] Syrskiy and maybe some brigade commanders," Zelenskyy said.
Kyiv said Zelenskyy's visit to the region was aimed at boosting economic ties and that there were no plans to meet with U.S. or Russian officials.
Zelenskyy late on February 17 said he had arrived in Turkey for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkish presidential spokesman Fahrettin Altun said Zelenskyy will meet with Erdogan on February 18 to discuss "regional and global" issues.
SEE ALSO: Europe Left Scrambling After Exclusion From Ukraine TalksZelenskyy is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia on February 19, although specific details were not disclosed.
Mykhaylo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Zelenskyy, said that "there are no negotiators who will represent Ukraine in Saudi Arabia" in peace talks.
"Today, there is nothing on the negotiating table that could be discussed. Russia is not ready for negotiations," he told Ukrainian TV.
Zelenskyy has said he would not engage in negotiations before meeting with allies, including European leaders, to develop a strategy.
"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.
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U.S. Official Hints At Ukraine Talks That Could Exclude European Countries
In a sign of bipartisan support from the U.S. Senate, Jeanne Shaheen -- the leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- Republican Thom Tillis and Democrat Michael Bennet concluded a visit to Kyiv and other cities on February 17.
“It is more important than ever for the United States to stand firm with Ukraine," Bennet said.
SEE ALSO: Zelenskyy Says He Will 'Meet With Only One Russian: Putin'“As the Ukrainian people continue their brave fight against Vladimir Putin’s aggression, we must keep supporting their fight – for the sake of Ukraine and democracy everywhere.”