Negotiations between the USA and Russia: Kyiv is outside the room, peace is in question

In mid-February 2025, it became known that the United States and Russia held another round of negotiations, without the participation of Ukraine. The negotiations took place with the participation of American mediators and Russian diplomats in Saudi Arabia. The goal is to discuss the terms of a peaceful settlement, but Kyiv was not invited. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted sharply, calling such an attempt “senseless” and saying that any agreements reached without the participation of Kyiv would have no legitimacy for his country. For the international community, this became a signal: even with the active diplomatic mediation of external forces, Russia is trying to negotiate bypassing Ukraine, which virtually excludes the possibility of an honest and fair result. February 2025 showed a serious problem in diplomacy: negotiations are possible, but without someone who is actually a party to the conflict, the result is doomed to failure. This again emphasizes that the format of peaceful dialogue remains controversial and unacceptable for many.