**Russia Holds the Cards in Ukraine Peace Talks, Says Trump**
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Russia holds a strong position in any peace talks with Ukraine. He made this comment on February 20 while traveling on Air Force One.
Trump believes that Russia wants to end the war and has the upper hand because they have taken control of a significant part of Ukrainian territory. “I think the Russians want to see the war end, I really do,” he said. “I think they have the cards a little bit, because they’ve taken a lot of territory. They have the cards.”
**US Delegation Meets with Russia**
A U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with top Russian officials in Saudi Arabia on February 18. This was the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the start of the war in 2022. Ukraine was not invited to participate.
No concrete decisions were announced after the talks, but both Moscow and Washington praised the meeting as constructive. However, this sparked alarm in Kyiv and Europe.
**Trump Meets with Putin?**
The US and Russia have signaled that a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could happen before the end of February. Speaking after the Riyadh talks, Trump said he believed Russia wants to end the war and laid the blame for the ongoing hostilities on Ukraine.
**Russia’s Actions in Ukraine**
Russian aerial strikes targeted an energy facility in Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast overnight. The company announced that 49,000 consumers were left without power as repairs continued.
**International Reaction**
Ukraine was not invited to participate in the US-Russia talks, which sparked alarm in Kyiv and Europe. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said it was wrong to deny Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s democratic legitimacy.
French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit Washington next week to meet with Trump. This comes as oil prices remain near a one-week high due to concerns over supply disruptions in Russia and the US.
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