Senior officials from the U.S. and Russia meet in Saudi Arabia on improving ties and ending the war in Ukraine - but Ukraine isn't invited.

U.S. and Russian officials have finished their first talks on ending the war in Ukraine, with Kyiv and its European allies watching anxiously from the sidelines.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he had postponed his visit to Saudi Arabia planned for Wednesday and that talks on how to end the war with Russia could not be held behind Ukraine's back.