Zelenskyy to visit Saudi Arabia, rules out meeting with Russian representatives

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed during a press conference at the Munich Security Conference that he plans an official visit to the United Arab Emirates, where humanitarian issues and the possibility of a prisoner exchange will be discussed. Following this, he will travel to Saudi Arabia to continue negotiations on the same topics. The next stop will be a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Zelenskyy emphasized that no meetings with Russian representatives are planned during these visits. 

"I don’t want to meet with the Russians just like that. When we talk about the order of meetings, I’ve already said, first America, then Europe, and then the Russians," he stated. Zelenskyy also clarified that he is unaware of any meetings between U.S. and Russian representatives during the Munich Security Conference.

Munich Security Conference 2025: Meeting topics and planned negotiations

On February 14, 2025, the 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) kicked off in Germany. Sixty heads of state and government are participating in the three-day event, which is the world’s largest international conference on global security issues. This year’s main theme is Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian delegation at the Munich Security Conference is led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Also included are Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Deputy Head of the President’s Office Pavlo Palisa.

The U.S. delegation is led by Vice President J.D. Vance, as the U.S. President will not be attending. The U.S. delegation also includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg.

On February 14, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference to discuss Trump’s push for negotiations regarding the war.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that U.S. and Russian officials would soon meet in Saudi Arabia for negotiations regarding the war. According to him, Ukraine will also be part of these talks.

The head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, stated that no representatives from Russia were accredited for the event.

• The question of ending Russia's war against Ukraine is unlikely to be directly resolved at the Munich Conference, which started on February 14 in Germany.