In a significant diplomatic move, top officials from the US and Russia have commenced peace talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at ending the ongoing Ukraine war. Notably, discussions are taking place without the presence of Ukrainian representatives, raising concerns among European nations about their exclusion from the negotiations. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with a delegation of American officials, are set to engage with their Russian counterparts, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in what is described as a high-stakes set of meetings. As Saudi Arabia emerges as a central player in this dialogue, questions regarding the broader implications of these talks for Ukraine and Europe remain a focal point of discussion.