U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in Riyadh this week to kick off high-stakes talks with Russian officials about the Ukraine crisis. But here’s the plot twist 🌪️: neither Ukraine nor European leaders were invited. Cue the diplomatic drama! 💥
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy swiftly rejected the move, calling it \"unacceptable\" to discuss peace without Ukraine at the table. Meanwhile, his upcoming Saudi Arabia visit—ostensibly about oil prices—might double as a recon mission to sniff out updates on the U.S.-Russia negotiations. 🛢️🕵️♂️
Europe, feeling sidelined, hit back with an emergency huddle in Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron rallied NATO and EU heavyweights—Germany, the UK, Poland, and others—to craft a unified response. Their worry? That the U.S. and Russia might strike a deal that sacrifices European security for a quick fix. 🛡️💬
Chen Yu, a Beijing-based Eurasia expert, noted Europe sees Ukraine as a core interest. \"Bypassing Europe risks destabilizing the region and expanding Russian influence,\" he told media. Is this a power play or a peace push? 🤔 The world’s watching.
