The launch of U.S.-Russia talks opens the door to a ceasefire in Ukraine, though the exclusion of Ukraine and Europe from the negotiations creates the risk of a deal that is not enforced and fails to end the fighting. High-profile delegations from the United States and Russia met in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine. The U.S. delegation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, while the Russian delegation included Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan also attended. Notably, no representatives from the Ukrainian government or the European Union attended the meeting. Separately, on Feb. 17 the leaders of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark met in France to discuss the U.S. government's...
