As US, Russia Talk Peace In Saudi Arabia, EU & Ukraine Shocked At Being Left Out

The US and Russia have begun a high-stakes game of geopolitical poker in Saudi Arabia, and guess who's not invited? Ukraine! That's right, the country at the heart of this conflict is missing from the table where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump's National Security Advisor, and his billionaire real estate friend Steve Witkoff - fresh from a three-hour chat with Putin - are set to hash out peace. Sergey Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, is ready to listen but also to lay down the Russian cards, while Trump claims Putin's had enough of this war, suggesting he's more interested in stopping fights than starting them. But here's the twist: Ukraine's President Zelenskyy is out in the cold, literally, as he's in Abu Dhabi, not Riyadh, working on prisoner exchanges rather than peace talks. Meanwhile, Europe's in a tizzy, feeling left out of this exclusive club. Zelenskyy has warned any deal made without Ukraine would be as useful as a chocolate teapot, and his special envoy, Gen Keith Kellogg, isn't mincing words about past failed peace efforts. So, is this a step toward peace or just another round of power chess?