Dar es Salaam, Feb. 17 -- WASHINGTON: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Saudi Arabia on Monday ahead of expected talks with Russian officials aimed at ending Moscows nearly three-year war in Ukraine.

Rubio is joined by US national security adviser Mike Waltz and the US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.

Its not known exactly who Rubio will meet – but on Saturday, he spoke on the phone to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

And last night, US President Donald Trump said he himself could meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia “very soon”.

“I think he [Putin] wants to stop fighting,” Trump told reporters after a flight on Air Force One last night.

“I think...