The US is going to hold talks with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia to end the Russia-Ukraine war. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia in a few days. According to CBS News, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Wittkoff will also participate in the talks with Rubio.

Keith Kellogg, the US special representative for Ukraine, said that Washington, Moscow and Kiev will participate in the talks. He said that he will not attend the talks. Kellogg says that Europe has not been invited to the Russia-Ukraine talks. He claims that many parties were involved in the earlier talks and could not reach a conclusion.

Foreign Minister Rubio, who arrived in Israel on Sunday, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the joint press conference after the meeting, they spoke about the security situation in the Middle East (West Asia) and bilateral relations.

Netanyahu said that American President Donald Trump is Israel's closest friend and that the two countries share the same strategy for the future of Gaza. He has accused the United Nations General Assembly of being "anti-US Israel". Secretary of State Rubio said that "Iran is the greatest source of instability" and that Iran will never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. He urged the Lebanese group to delist Hamas and disband Hezbollah.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Kiev has not been invited to the talks to be held in Saudi Arabia. He says that Ukraine is not planning to send any delegation. Earlier, Ukrainian President Zelensky called for the creation of an "Army of Europe". Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Zelensky said the speech of US Vice President JD Vance was ending the old relationship between Europe and the US and Europe needed to understand it in time. Zelensky says that Ukraine will never accept agreements made without Ukraine's involvement.

During the Munich Security Conference, there was a sharp disagreement between the US and European leaders . US Vice President Vance strongly criticized European democracy at the conference. He repeated the statement of the Trump administration and said that "Europe should take steps to protect itself". Zelensky met with Vance and Rubio on Friday in talks on the sidelines of the conference.

As US and Russia negotiate, European leaders unite in defense of Ukraine . European leaders have objected that America is proceeding with peace talks with Russia without consulting Europe . They said that there can be no peace talks without Ukraine or without the involvement of Europe . They will hold an emergency summit in France on Monday as the US prepares for talks. Earlier, they announced that they will hold a meeting next week.

According to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barot, French President Emmanuel Macron has organized a meeting of European leaders to discuss the situation in Ukraine. He said that since such meetings are held regularly, there is no need for unnecessary discussions. Barot said that the leaders of France, Britain, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and Denmark will participate in the meeting. After preparing for the

talks, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a statement saying that there is an unprecedented opportunity to unite for the security of Europe. "While working together with the US in NATO, Europe must play a key role in securing Ukraine's future and confronting the threat from Russia," Starmer said in a statement.

US Secretary of State Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday . According to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, in his conversation with Lavrov, Rubio reiterated "US President Donald Trump's commitment to end the conflict in Ukraine". Last Wednesday, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation. The US's European allies were surprised by the direct contact that the White House made with Moscow after three years. In his conversation with Putin, Trump said that talks would begin immediately to stop the "ridiculous war" in Ukraine.

Trump said on his social network Truth Social on Thursday that he had a very fruitful telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Putin and agreed to start talks immediately to end the Ukraine war. During the conversation, both the presidents also invited each other to visit their respective countries. With Trump's statement about the telephone conversation between the two leaders becoming public, Ukrainian President Zelensky also said that he had a conversation with Trump about long-term and reliable peace establishment. Asserting that there is no one in the world who wants peace more than Ukraine, he said that he is ready to stop Russian aggression and ensure lasting and reliable peace together with America.

Last Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied that Ukraine would join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and take back all the territories lost during the war. Likewise, while talking to reporters after the talks with Putin, Trump also said that if the negotiations to end the Ukraine war are completed, Ukraine may not be a member of NATO and may not get back all the territories it lost during the war. Trump and Hegseth's response angered the leaders of Ukraine as well as European countries. Ukrainian President Zelensky said that he would not accept any agreement without the involvement of his country. But he said that NATO issues were not discussed in the conversation with Trump.

After Russia started attacking Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the two countries went to war. During the three-year-long war, both countries have suffered heavy losses. During this period, Russia has taken control of at least 20 percent of the territory . Ukraine has also been attacking Russian ships, military vehicles and drones in some cities.

At least 40,000 Ukrainians have died due to the Russian attack. 6.8 million Ukrainians have been forced to leave the country, and 4.4 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced. 1.46 million people are said to be in need of humanitarian assistance.

Since the Russian invasion, Ukraine has received a subsidy worth 4 trillion 7 billion US dollars. Of this, 1 trillion 18 billion dollars has been provided by the US. But with Trump assuming the post of American president, it is seen that the military assistance that Ukraine is receiving will stop. The Trump administration has said that Ukraine should own half of its mineral resources in exchange for its help in fighting Russia. Finance Minister Scott Besant has set the condition of providing half of the minerals for the support and continuation of the support so far in the meeting with the Ukrainian President Zelensky last Wednesday .

According to American media, the Trump administration has demanded 50 percent ownership of all Ukrainian mineral resources. But the Ukrainian president rejected the condition . Ukrainian officials have said they are seeking ownership of minerals as well as other natural resources, oil and gas. As Zelensky rejected the proposal, Trump is expected to freeze military and economic aid and initiate an end-to-war initiative.

Dysprosium, neodymium and cerium, a rare mineral called 'rare earth', are a group of 17 types of heavy metals. According to experts, these rare minerals are essential in electronics, military equipment and technology.

According to a study conducted by the American Geological Survey in 2024, there are about 110 million tons of rare mineral reserves in the world. 44 million tons are in China, which is the world's largest producer . Similarly, 22 million tons are in Brazil, 21 million tons in Vietnam, 10 million tons in Russia and 7 million tons in India.