DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s crown prince wasn’t in the room for the first high-level talks between Russia and the United States over Moscow’s war on Ukraine on Tuesday, but Mohammed bin Salman still won the day for hosting the gathering that could be a game-changer in the bloody conflict.

Senior U.S. and Russian officials met on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia for more than four hours to discuss ending the war in Ukraine and preparing for a Trump-Putin summit. Why it matters: The meeting is another significant step in improving U.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he did not know about U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia and "will not accept" them.