Zelenskiy postpones his visit to Saudi Arabia says no talks behind Kyiv s back

KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb 18 he had postponed his visit to Saudi Arabia planned for Feb 19 and that talks on how to end the war with Russia could not be held behind Ukraine’s back.

Ukraine was not represented at the talks between the United States and Russia in Riyadh on Feb 18.

Mr Zelensky said that Kyiv was not invited to the meeting, but he had been due to travel to Saudi Arabia on Feb 19.

“We want no one to decide anything behind our backs... No decision can be made without Ukraine on how to end the war in Ukraine,” Mr Zelensky told reporters during a visit to Turkey, where he held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Mr Zelensky said he postponed his trip to Riyadh until March 10 as he did not want “any coincidences”.

As the war with Russia approaches its three-year mark next week, Mr Zelensky said that neither Kyiv nor Moscow could win on the battlefield.

Fierce fighting rages on along more than 1,000km of front line, with Russian troops slowly but steadily advancing in the eastern Donetsk region. Ukraine seized control of a small part of Russia’s Kursk region in a surprise attack launched across the border in August 2024.

Mr Zelensky said that to ensure a just peace, the United States, Ukraine and Europe should participate in the talks on security guarantees for Kyiv.

Mr Zelensky also discussed them at talks with Mr Erdogan.

Speaking at the joint news conference, Mr Erdogan said Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty were indisputable in the eyes of Ankara.

Turkey would be an appropriate venue for any possible peace talks involving Russia, he said. REUTERS