Ukraine and Europe face exclusion from US-led talks

A senior White House team is heading to Saudi Arabia ahead of possible peace talks on Ukraine amid consternation that the country is being left out of negotiations over its own future.

- SAM KILEY

Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and national security adviser Mike Waltz were planning to head to Riyadh to begin setting up talks, which will also sideline Europe in discussions that will determine the future safety of the continent.

"I am going tonight," Mr Witkoff said in a Fox News interview.

"I'll be travelling there with the national security adviser, and we'll be having meetings at the direction of the president, and hopefully we'll make some really good progress." Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is due to meet in Paris today with the French president Emmanuel Macron, who will also host German chancellor Olaf Scholz, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at a hastily convened summit to discuss how to deal with the Trump peace proposals.

The urgent meeting in Paris follows a week of attacks on Nato by Mr Trump's officials, who also gave away some of Ukraine's key negotiating cards before any talks with Putin could begin.