U.S. diplomats head to Riyadh for Russia talks

White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said he would travel to Saudi Arabia later in the day with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz for talks on the Ukrainian settlement.

"I am going tonight. I'll be traveling there with the national security advisor, and we'll be having meetings at the direction of the president, and hopefully we'll make some really good progress," Steve Witkoff said.

Witkoff pushed back against the idea that the Ukrainians have been cut out of talks with the Russians.

"I don't think this is about excluding anybody. In fact, it's about including everybody," Steve Witkoff said.

A Ukrainian governmental delegation has also begun a visit to Saudi Arabia. According to Ukrainian Economics Minister Yulia Sviridenko, dozens of meeting will be held in the coming days to prepare Vladimir Zenesky’s visit to Saudi Arabia.