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.

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.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy postponed his visit to Saudi Arabia in order to not give "legitimacy" to Tuesday's meeting between U.S. and Russian officials in Riyadh, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.