The future of Ukraine hangs in the balance as U.S. officials head to Saudi Arabia to begin direct negotiations with Moscow over ending the war, leaving Kyiv and its European allies scrambling to come up with a strategy for their own security.

Russian, U.S. officials to meet in Saudi Arabia in coming days Zelenskiy says Ukraine not invited Europe will not have seat at talks, Trump envoy says Rubio, Lavrov speak on Ukraine, future U.S.-Russia meeting MUNICH/WASHINGTON,

The future of Ukraine hangs in the balance as U.S. officials head to Saudi Arabia to begin direct negotiations with Moscow over ending the war, leaving Kyiv and its European allies scrambling to come up with a strategy for their own security.

The future of Ukraine hangs in the balance as U.S. officials head to Saudi Arabia to begin direct negotiations with Moscow over ending the war, leaving Kyiv and its European allies scrambling to come up with a strategy for their own security.

The future of Ukraine hangs in the balance as U.S. officials head to Saudi Arabia to begin direct negotiations with Moscow over ending the war, leaving Kyiv and its European allies scrambling to come up with a strategy for their own security.

Trump’s proposal to meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia is tied to investments, a stronger U.S.-Saudi relationship, and a broader restructuring of the Middle East The diplomatic onslaught by the Trump Administration during last weekend's Munich Security Conference is still reverberating across Europe.

WELCOME TO DAY 3 of Global Playbook coming to you from Bavaria, where the Munich Security Conference is racing to the finish line. Things will wrap up here in the early afternoon, but we’ll be back with a final edition on Monday morning. Remembering Navalny: Before diving into the latest from Munich, it’s worth taking a pause to note that today is the one-year anniversary of the death of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny. The news rocked the MSC last year, as confirmation that he had died in a Siberian prison filtered through on Feb. 16 2024. His widow Yulia Navalnaya, who is here in Munich again this year, issued a warning to delegates gathering here this weekend: Don’t negotiate with Vladimir Putin. “He will betray. He will change the rules at the last moment and force you to play his game.” Sobering words. Next in line: The frontrunner to be the next German chancellor, Friedrich Merz (who did score a meeting with Vance), also told the U.S. vice president to back off. “We respect the presidential elections and the congressional elections in the U.S. And we expect the U.S. to do the same here,” he said. Reminder: Trump has said the U.S. wants $500 billion in Ukrainian mineral riches to repay it for military and civilian support since the start of the war — a figure much higher than America’s actual aid, according to two people familiar with the negotiations. Not at the table: In fact, the meeting is not a “summit,” but rather a gathering of a group of select EU countries plus the U.K. Regardless, it’s difficult to see what it can achieve, particularly given U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg’s remarks that Europe will not take part in Russia-U.S. talks on Ukraine. SCRAMBLING THE TEAM: The European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas has convened a meeting of EU foreign ministers this morning in Munich, with the 10 or so who are still in town expected to take stock on the latest in Ukraine. The bombshell news that Trump administration officials are heading to Saudi Arabia for peace talks with Russia will no doubt overshadow the conversation. Show us the money: Multiple sources told POLITICO that the need for Europe to up its defense spending was a point made again and again by U.S. members of Congress in their meetings with continental officials over the past few days. As the FT reports, Washington has sent a demand to European capitals for details on weapons, troops and peace-keeping arrangements. Stepping up: But a range of Europeans admitted the continent needs to do more. NATO boss Mark Rutte said in a POLITICO interview that members of the alliance will have to boost their defense spending by “considerably more than 3 percent” of GDP. Time for action: Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys told POLITICO’s Jamie Dettmer that it’s clear Europe will have to move fast to satisfy Washington’s demands. “This is not a time for us to be shocked for too long, to be surprised or to be depressed or indulge these emotions. There’s no time for that. It’s time for action.” He joined the chorus of Europeans explicitly stating that NATO membership for Ukraine should remain on the table. On the bright side: The EU may be in a tough spot on defense and security, but it has much more muscle on trade and economic policy, as one of the world’s largest trading blocs. “We are strong enough to react to everything that is harming the European economy,” German Chancellor Scholz told Bloomberg Saturday. But, he added, reaching a deal with the Trump administration would “better for all parties involved.” We’ve re-imagined and expanded our Inside Congress newsletter to give you unmatched reporting on Capitol Hill politics and policy -- and we’ll get it to your inbox even earlier. Subscribe today. INTERVIEW ROUND-UP POLITICO continued its programming Saturday with a range of top-notch speakers at the Pub. Here are some of the key takeaways ... — Republican Representative Mike McCaul scoffed at the idea of China playing any role in Russia-Ukraine talks and promoting itself as a peace-broker. “It’s like an accomplice to the crime being the judge of the case. I mean, absolutely insane,” he said in an interview with our own Robbie Gramer at the POLITICO Pub. “They are so complicit with the destruction of Ukraine.” — Democratic Senator Mark Warner on his own party: “I think the Democrats’ brand is really bad, and I think this was an election based on culture.” He told our own Dasha Burns that “Democrats’ failure to connect on a cultural basis with a wide swath of Americans is hugely problematic.” — Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė on the need to ramp up defense capabilities: “We will have even more problems in the next year or two if we don’t ramp up our defense industry production levels,” she told Paul McLeary. “Both developing a European defense industry, and working with the United States defense industry. Of course the United States wants us to buy from them. We will have to find a balance.” He also said the U.S. should continue to send weapons to Ukraine. “We need to continue to build up the capability of the Ukrainian military. Arm them to the teeth, give them a bunch of F-16s.” WOULD YOU LIKE FRIES WITH CHAT? There’s been one tasty talking point at the MSC: POLITICO’s French fries. Trays of the red-cartoned delights were snapped up by eager delegates who crammed into the POLITICO Pub throughout the weekend. (Popcorn was also in supply for last night’s showing of the Bayern Munich soccer match.) FALZ BAR: The swanky bar in the Bayerischer Hof was the site of some serious pre-dinner networking last night. Such was the fun that polite officials had to nudge the stragglers toward buses heading to the Bavarian state dinner, a staple of the Munich Security Conference, held in the Kaisersaal in the salubrious Residenz München. MAKING EUROPE GREAT AGAIN ONE HAT AT A TIME: The MAGA brand has competition in Munich. An MSC conference-goer has been donning a green “Make Europe Great Again” hat — and our own Robbie Gramer caught up with him. It’s a riposte, not an homage, to the Trump movement, explained André Loesekrug-Pietri, a former adviser to the French defense minister. Transatlantic inspiration: Loesekrug-Pietri said he was inspired to make the hat following Trump’s reelection. His aim was to rebrand the MAGA rallying cry for centrists and pro-Europeans who feel they’re being crowded out by political fringe movements on both sides of the Atlantic. Art of the deal: Loesekrug-Pietri, the chairman of the Joint European Disruptive Initiative, said that when he set up a site to sell the hats, he had 17,000 requests within a few weeks. He said it shows the non-fringe political parties still have fight in them: “The response and demand has been overwhelming.” A new era in Washington calls for sharper insights. Get faster policy scoops, more congressional coverage, and a re-imagined newsletter under the leadership of Jack Blanchard. Subscribe to our Playbook Newsletter today. — Belarusian leader in exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in conversation with Vatican Secretary of State Archbishop Paul Gallagher in the bar of the Bayerischer Hof. — Trump envoy Ric Grenell posing for selfies downstairs in the Rosewood. — Former U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis waiting patiently in line as he made his way through a crush in the Bayerischer Hof corridor. — Former French Prime Minister Michel Barnier catching up with Irish PM Micheál Martin in the Bayerischer Hof.

The future of Ukraine hangs in the balance as U.S. officials head to Saudi Arabia to begin direct negotiations with Moscow over ending the war, leaving Kyiv and its European allies scrambling to come

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky said his nation was not invited to the negotiating table, The Guardian reports.

The Ukrainian president said he would reschedule the trip for March 10 after his country was not invited to talks on negotiating an end to the war with Russia.

Senior officials from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration will start peace talks with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, according to a U.S. lawmaker and a source familiar with the planning.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated he hadn't been invited and warned that his country “will never accept deals made behind our backs.”