Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived on Monday in Saudi Arabia’s second round of a whistle Middle East tour to discuss the future of Gaza and Ukraine as the Trump administration did not consult with relevant foreign partners Under the circumstances of conducting, consult the country about the war between the two.
Mr Rubio, who flew from Israel to Riyadh, is expected to urge Saudi leaders to present their vision for post-war Gaza. President Trump's declining population and the idea of occupying the territory have stimulated the Arab world, with widespread opposition including Saudi Arabia. This led to Mr. Rubio and other U.S. officials encouraging Arab leaders to propose another option.
Mr. Rubio also plans to meet with Russian officials in Riyadh to discuss the future of the Russian-Ukrainian war. They are expected to join two other key officials – National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Mr. Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who also works on the Ukrainian-Russia issue.
In addition to angering Arab allies’ controversial proposals for Gaza, Mr. Trump was frustrated when he talked with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin about the future of Ukraine last week. His administration also said that despite conflicts at the European border, the European government will have no role in future negotiations.
The moves have attracted attention from Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, with leaders concerned about being phased out in discussions that determine the future of their country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated in an interview aired on Sunday that his country would “never” accept the peace agreement reached between the United States and Russia.
Mr. Rubio's visit was in uncertainty over the rotation of Israel and Hamas' ceasefire in Gaza and the long-term governance of the territory.
Israeli officials are expected to hold disagreements in Cairo on Monday regarding the dispatch of humanitarian aid to Gaza, including temporary accommodation. However, the Israeli government has not decided whether to propose negotiations to expand the truce, which will disappear in early March unless Hamas and Israel resume negotiations. Israeli cabinet ministers will gather on Monday night to debate the issue, but are not sure they will vote.
Israeli leaders hope to avoid prolonged truce if Hamas is allowed to survive as a military force in the war. But Hamas showed his willingness to share his willingness to control the territory but seemed reluctant to disarm its military divisions.
Mr. Trump suggested ending the deadlock by reducing Gaza and sending its residents to Egypt and Jordan, a move that has been strongly opposed by these countries and Saudi Arabia. International law experts say that being forced to expel Palestinians would be a crime of ethnic cleansing and war.
The Trump administration’s proposals have created further obstacles to the long-term goal of normalizing diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Saudi leaders said that if Palestinians are displaced from Gaza, or if Israel refuses to create avenues for Palestinian sovereignty, it will not recognize Israel.
Discussions became even harder after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hints that Saudi Arabia received Palestinian refugees and established a Palestinian state on Saudi soil.
The Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry rejected Mr. Netanyahu's statement that the statement “extremist, occupation mentality” failed to understand the historical and cultural significance of Palestinian land.
Gabby Sobelman Rehovot from Israel contributed the report.
