**Russia Rejects Nato Peacekeepers in Ukraine**
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said his country will not accept peacekeeping forces from Nato countries in Ukraine under any peace deal. This follows high-level talks with the US in Saudi Arabia.
Lavrov said it was “completely unacceptable” for armed forces to be sent from other countries, even if they are under a different flag. He also reiterated that Russia sees any expansion of the Nato defence alliance as a threat.
**US and Russia Agree to Negotiate**
The meeting between Russian and American delegations in Riyadh marked the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine that the two sides have met face-to-face. The US said they had agreed to appoint teams to start negotiating the end of the war.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the talks as a “first step” towards ending the conflict. He also said the European Union would need to be involved in any peace deal, as they have sanctions against Russia.
**Ukraine Not Invited**
Ukraine was not invited to the talks, which its president Volodymyr Zelensky called a “surprise”. The Ukrainian leader is concerned that his country’s interests are being decided without their involvement.
“We want everything to be fair and so that nobody decides anything behind our back,” Zelensky said. He will likely be alarmed by the apparent rapprochement between Russia and the US, but knows that he can do little to change whatever they agree on.
**European Leaders React**
European leaders held a hastily-arranged meeting in Paris to discuss their response to the talks between Russia and the US. However, they did not agree on a unified position.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said any Ukraine deal would require a “US backstop” to deter Russia from attacking its neighbour again. Germany‘s Chancellor Olaf Scholz said discussing sending troops to Ukraine was “completely premature”.
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