French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet with President Donald Trump this week as they try to clinch a European role in the ongoing talks between Washington and Moscow on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of "forces" attempting to derail Ukraine peace talks currently being brokered by Washington and Moscow. Newsweek has contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment by email.

On the third anniversary of the invasion, Trump says he is talking to Moscow about an economic development deal as Washington’s posture in the region shifts.

The U.S. Secretary of State's comments came after a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the pair were discussing the possibility of an end

The move appears to be an effort to ease tensions between Moscow and Washington ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia.

Iran will not succumb to pressure and sanctions imposed by Washington, the Islamic Republic's top diplomat said on Tuesday after meeting his Russian counterpart, days after Moscow held initial talks with the U.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to Washington next week amid alarm in Europe over U.S. President Donald Trump's hardening stance towards Ukraine and overtures to Moscow on the three-year conflict.

The U.S. Secretary of State's comments came after a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the pair were discussing the possibility of an end to the war in Ukraine - without representatives from Kyiv present.

The negotiations in Saudi Arabia, which exclude Ukrainian officials, mark a pivotal step by the Trump Administration to reverse U.S. policy on isolating Russia.