RIYADH / KYIV - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Riyadh on Monday for talks with Saudi officials, focusing on a controversial US proposal for Gaza, as part of his first Middle East tour as the top US diplomat.
Rubio's trip to Saudi Arabia followed US President Donald Trump's proposal to "take over" Gaza and relocate millions of Palestinians from the besieged enclave.
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The US State Department confirmed that Rubio met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, during which he underlined the importance of a Gaza arrangement that contributes to regional security.
The official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that they discussed regional and global developments and efforts to achieve security and stability.
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Rubio also met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to discuss bolstering bilateral ties, the latest regional and international developments, and efforts exerted towards them, the SPA reported.
According to US news outlets, a key agenda item for Rubio was promoting Trump's Gaza relocation proposal, a plan that has drawn strong condemnation from Arab states.
Egypt, along with Saudi Arabia and Jordan, has been leading efforts to formulate an Arab-led alternative. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced last week that Egypt plans to present a "comprehensive vision" for Gaza reconstruction that does not involve population displacement.
Riyadh is set to host a regional summit on Friday, with attendance from Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and others, to formalize their proposals.
While the United States has indicated it is open to alternative proposals from Arab governments, Rubio has stated that "the only plan is the Trump plan."
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Saudi Arabia is the second stop on Rubio's Middle East tour. He has already visited Israel and is expected to travel to the UAE.
In a separate diplomatic track, Rubio will join US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in Riyadh on Tuesday to discuss the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine not to participate
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that Kyiv would not participate in the US-Russia negotiations set to start on Tuesday, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.
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"We cannot recognize anything or any agreements about us without us. And we will not recognize such agreements," he emphasized.
Zelensky added that his official visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday "has no connection with the things that are happening in Saudi Arabia at the level of representatives of the United States and Russia."
