Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Saudi Arabia for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a day before a pivotal meeting of Ukrainian and US officials. US has sounded optimistic it will be able to make key steps toward ending the war with Russia.
While being traditionally Kyiv’s most powerful ally, the US has shifted its war strategy to a totally opposite approach, preferring a rapid resolution of the war over long-term support. This has meant freezing arms supplies and intel sharing with Ukraine and proceeding with direct negotiations with Russia. Confronted with this reality, Kyiv has tried to maintain “pragmatic” relations with the United States, especially after a contentious and fruitless Oval Office meeting between Zelenskyy and United States President Donald Trump last month.
Zelenskyy’s visit to Saudi Arabia comes as the kingdom continues its diplomatic efforts, having previously mediated prisoner exchanges and facilitated US-Russia negotiations. The Ukrainian leader is set to meet bin Salman later on Monday before his top officials engage with their US counterparts on Tuesday.
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said he was confident about the talks, while a minerals agreement between Ukraine and the US was also in the cards. “I am really hopeful. All the signs are very, very positive,” he said when asked about such a deal. Even Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on his way to Jeddah, echoed the same optimism but said details need to be worked out.
Despite mounting pressure from Trump, Zelenskyy has struggled to secure US security guarantees, which Kyiv views as crucial to any peace deal. While he will not personally attend Tuesday’s discussions, Ukraine will be represented by senior officials, including his chief of staff, foreign and defense ministers, and top military personnel.
The US delegation is expected to assess whether Ukraine is willing to make significant concessions to Russia. A senior American official remarked, “We want to see if the Ukrainians are interested not just in peace, but in a realistic peace.”
Trump, speaking on Sunday, expressed confidence in the upcoming discussions and indicated that Washington had “just about” lifted its suspension of intelligence-sharing with Kyiv.
