Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived on Monday in Saudi Arabia for the second leg of a whistle-stop Center East tour to debate the way forward for each Gaza and Ukraine amid criticism that the Trump administration was appearing with out consulting related overseas companions concerning the wars in each international locations.
Mr. Rubio, who flew to Riyadh from Israel, was anticipated to press the Saudi management to suggest a imaginative and prescient for postwar Gaza. President Trump’s thought to depopulate and occupy the territory has spurred widespread opposition within the Arab world, together with in Saudi Arabia. That has led Mr. Rubio and different U.S. officers to encourage Arab leaders to recommend an alternate.
Mr. Rubio can also be scheduled to fulfill in Riyadh with Russian officers to debate the way forward for the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They’re anticipated to be joined by two different key U.S. officers — Mike Waltz, the nationwide safety adviser, and Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump’s Center East envoy, who additionally works on Ukraine-Russia points.
Along with angering Arab allies along with his contentious proposal for Gaza, Mr. Trump annoyed companions in Europe when he spoke final week unilaterally with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia about Ukraine’s future. His administration has additionally mentioned that European governments will play no position in future talks, regardless of the battle going down inside Europe’s borders.
The strikes prompted concern in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, the place leaders worry being sidelined from discussions that may dictate their international locations’ futures. Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, reiterated in an interview that aired on Sunday that his nation would “by no means” settle for a peace deal struck by the US and Russia if Ukraine was not concerned within the talks.
Mr. Rubio’s go to comes amid swirling uncertainty about the way forward for the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in addition to the long-term governance of the territory.
Israeli officers had been anticipated to fulfill in Cairo on Monday to iron out disagreements about sending humanitarian help, together with momentary lodging, to Gaza. However the Israeli authorities has but to resolve whether or not to advance negotiations to increase the truce, which is able to lapse in early March until Hamas and Israel restart talks. Israeli cupboard ministers had been set to assemble on Monday night to debate the difficulty, nevertheless it was not sure that they’d vote on it.
The Israeli management needs to keep away from prolonging the truce if it permits Hamas to outlive the conflict as a navy drive. However Hamas, although indicating a willingness to share administrative management of the territory, seems unwilling to disarm its navy wing.
Mr. Trump has urged ending the deadlock by depopulating Gaza and sending its residents to Egypt and Jordan — a transfer strongly opposed by these international locations in addition to Saudi Arabia. The compelled expulsion of Palestinians could be ethnic cleaning and a conflict crime, worldwide regulation specialists say.
The Trump administration’s proposal has created an extra impediment to Israel’s long-sought aim of normalizing diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia. The Saudi management has mentioned that it’ll not acknowledge Israel if Palestinians are displaced from Gaza, or if Israel refuses to create a pathway to Palestinian sovereignty.
The dialogue grew extra fraught after Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, urged that Saudi Arabia host Palestinian refugees and create a Palestinian state on Saudi soil.
Saudi Arabia’s Overseas Ministry rejected Mr. Netanyahu’s statements as these of “an extremist, occupying mind-set” that fails to grasp the historic and cultural significance of Palestinian land.
Gabby Sobelman contributed reporting from Rehovot, Israel.
