Kyiv has not been invited to US-Russia talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian government source told the BBC. Although US special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg had stated that Kyiv would participate in Monday’s discussions in Saudi Arabia, the source confirmed that no Ukrainian delegation would be present. European leaders have also been excluded from the talks and will instead meet separately in Paris on Monday at a hastily arranged summit by French President Emmanuel Macron, amid growing concerns that Europe is being sidelined from negotiations. These parallel meetings come after a tumultuous week in which Washington signaled a significant shift in its approach to the Ukraine war. The White House’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, confirmed he was traveling to Saudi Arabia on Sunday evening for the first direct US-Russia talks on ending the conflict. US President Donald Trump revealed that Witkoff had already met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for “a very extended period, about three hours.” Witkoff, a billionaire real estate developer and Trump associate, had been in Moscow earlier this week to negotiate the release of a US teacher imprisoned on marijuana possession charges. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz are also set to meet Russian negotiators in Saudi Arabia, just days after Trump spoke with Putin over the phone—ending a three-year freeze on direct communication between Washington and Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly rejected any peace deal made without Ukraine’s involvement. Speaking to NBC on Sunday, he stated, “I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine—never.” Witkoff insisted that US officials were engaging with Ukrainian representatives separately and that Ukraine was “part of the talks,” though he did not clarify whether Kyiv would be physically present in Saudi Arabia. Trump told reporters in Palm Beach, Florida, that he expected Zelensky to be involved in the discussions but did not specify how. He also mentioned plans to allow European nations to purchase US weapons for Ukraine. When asked by the BBC about the timeline for peace negotiations, Trump responded vaguely, saying, “We’re working to get it done,” while blaming the previous administration’s Ukraine policies for the ongoing war. Rubio, however, downplayed the significance of the Saudi Arabia talks, stating that a single meeting would not resolve the war and that a formal negotiation framework—mediating between Ukraine, Russia, and third parties—had yet to be established. Speaking to CBS News, he added that the coming days would reveal whether Putin was genuinely interested in peace. Amid these developments, a group of European leaders—including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen—will convene in Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron will host an informal afternoon meeting focused on Ukraine and European security.