Saudi Arabia's crown prince may not be inside the room where the first high-level talks between Russia and the United States over Moscow’s war on Ukraine are taking place.

Saudi Arabia’s hosting of top American and Russian officials for a high-stakes rapprochement meeting underlines the kingdom’s aspirations to become a global actor capable of successfully mediating international conflicts.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia for Ukraine peace talks after a surprise phone call between the two leaders. The US president,