Marco Rubio departed Riyadh for Abu Dhabi on February 19, as part of his first trip to the Middle East as U.S. Secretary of State. Rubio held initial talks with Russian officials aimed at ending Moscow's nearly three-year war in Ukraine.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a meeting Monday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. The State Department issued a statement on Rubio’s meeting with the Saudi crown

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Rubio’s diplomatic experience is limited to his time in the Senate, during which he served on the Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday hoping to kickstart negotiations over wars in Ukraine and Gaza without its usual European partners.

Marco Rubio’s visit to Riyadh, his first as secretary of state, came amid uncertainty about the future of Gaza and Ukraine and criticism of unilateral U.S. moves over the wars in both places.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud in Ridyah.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will skip a meeting of foreign ministers from the leading rich and developing nations, known as the Group of 20, that starts on Thursday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country won't accept the outcome of the talks if Kyiv isn't involved.

"I was personally very upset," he told independent journalist Catherine Herridge in a video interview posted on X Thursday night. "We discussed this issue about the mineral rights, and we explained to them,

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said "we have a long ways to go" before starting any talks with Russia aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia − Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed plans for Gaza during a meeting on Monday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.