\n<\/p>\n
The de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, met on Monday with three senior members of the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who were visiting the kingdom to discuss the future of both Gaza and Ukraine.<\/p>\n
The visit of Mr. Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump\u2019s Mideast envoy, came amid criticism that the Trump administration was acting without consulting relevant foreign partners about the wars in both countries.<\/p>\n
Mr. Rubio also met earlier in the day with Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi foreign minister.<\/p>\n
Little was released about the content of the meetings, except for a video of a brief exchange between the men in which the prince said he was glad to work with the Trump administration. <\/p>\n
Mr. Rubio, who flew to Riyadh from Israel, and his colleagues were expected to press the Saudi leadership to propose a vision for postwar Gaza. President Trump\u2019s idea to depopulate and occupy the territory has spurred widespread opposition in the Arab world, including in Saudi Arabia. That has led Mr. Rubio and other U.S. officials to encourage Arab leaders to suggest an alternative.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The three U.S. envoys were also scheduled to meet<\/a> in Riyadh on Tuesday with Russian officials to discuss the future of the Russia-Ukraine war.<\/p>\n In addition to angering Arab allies with his contentious proposal for Gaza, Mr. Trump frustrated partners in Europe when he spoke last week unilaterally with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia about Ukraine\u2019s future. His administration has also said that European governments will play no role<\/a> in future talks, despite the conflict taking place within Europe\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n The moves prompted concern in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, where leaders fear being sidelined from discussions that will dictate their countries\u2019 futures. Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, reiterated in an interview that aired on Sunday<\/a> that his country would \u201cnever\u201d accept a peace deal struck by the United States and Russia if Ukraine was not involved in the talks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr. Rubio\u2019s visit comes amid swirling uncertainty about the future of the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as the long-term governance of the territory.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Israeli officials were expected to meet in Cairo on Monday to iron out disagreements about sending humanitarian aid, including temporary housing, such as tents and trailers, to Gaza. But the Israeli government has yet to decide whether to advance negotiations to extend the truce, which will lapse in early March unless Hamas and Israel restart talks. Israeli cabinet ministers were set to gather on Monday evening to debate the issue, but it was not certain that they would vote on it.<\/p>\n The Israeli leadership wants to avoid prolonging the truce if it allows Hamas to survive the war as a military force. But Hamas, though indicating a willingness to share administrative control of the territory, appears unwilling to disarm its military wing.<\/p>\n Mr. Trump has suggested ending the impasse by depopulating Gaza and sending its residents to Egypt and Jordan \u2014 a move strongly opposed by those countries as well as Saudi Arabia. The forced expulsion of Palestinians would be ethnic cleansing and a war crime, international law experts say.<\/p>\n The Trump administration\u2019s proposal has created a further obstacle to Israel\u2019s long-sought goal of normalizing diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia. The Saudi leadership has said that it will not recognize Israel if Palestinians are displaced from Gaza, or if Israel refuses to create a pathway to Palestinian sovereignty.<\/p>\n