President-elect Donald Trump, President Emmanuel Macron and President Volodymyr Zelensky meet at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on Dec. 7, 2024. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff met in Riyadh last week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin’s foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov to hash out ways to end the conflict. Ukraine was absent from the negotiations in Saudi Arabia.
Ukraine's lack of involvement sparked President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy to double down on the stance that his nation will not accept a peace deal unless they are a part of the negotiation process.
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer listens to a speech at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, England, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Trump added on Friday that Macron and Starmer "haven’t done anything" since 2022 to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump's recent remarks on Zelenskyy have apparently alarmed European leaders who have backed Ukraine throughout the war. Macron previewed in remarks on Thursday that he will reportedly take a tough tone with Trump during their meeting.
TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY WAR OF WORDS HEATS UP EVEN AS US LOOKS TO WIND DOWN WAR IN UKRAINE
"Trump, I know him. I respect him and I believe he respects me," Macron, who will meet with Trump on Monday, said during a question-and-answer session on social media. "I will tell him: deep down you cannot be weak in the face of President (Vladimir Putin). It's not you, it's not what you're made of, and it's not in your interests."
President Donald Trump sits down with Fox News anchor Bret Baier for an interview. (Fox News/Special Report)
Starmer, who is slated to meet with Trump on Thursday, said on Sunday in Scotland that there cannot be peace talks without Ukraine's input.
"Nobody wants the bloodshed to continue. Nobody, least of all the Ukrainians," he said Sunday, according to Reuters.
"But after everything that they have suffered, after everything that they have fought for, there could be no discussion about Ukraine without Ukraine, and the people of Ukraine must have a long-term secure future."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke to members of the media on Saturday following CPAC, saying a peace deal could be reached as soon as this week.
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"The president, his team are very much focused on continuing negotiations with both sides of this war to end the conflict, and the president is very confident we can get it done this week," she said.
Fox News Digital's Bailee Hill, Morgan Phillips and Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-set-meet-world-leaders-dc-busy-week-russia-ukraine-peace-talks-continue