US and Ukraine will meet in Saudi Arabia after failed White House talks

U.S. and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to convene in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for discussions aimed at repairing relations and assessing Ukraine‘s willingness to make concessions in response to President Donald Trump‘s initiative to swiftly conclude the conflict with Russia.

Since Trump’s inauguration in January, Washington, Ukraine’s primary ally, has significantly altered its approach to the conflict, now seeking a rapid resolution to the hostilities. Trump has taken a direct approach with Moscow, halted military aid to Kyiv, and suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine, which faced a large-scale invasion by Russian forces in 2022.

A recent confrontation at the White House between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has severely strained their relationship. This tension has left a minerals agreement in uncertainty, which Trump has positioned as crucial for ongoing U.S. support and compensation for the approximately $65 billion in military assistance provided to Ukraine since the onset of the Russian invasion three years ago.

Under significant pressure from the U.S., Zelenskiy has been striving to demonstrate Kyiv’s commitment to ending the war, even though he has not secured U.S. security guarantees in the minerals deal, which Ukraine considers essential for any potential peace agreement.

“We need to comprehend the Ukrainian stance and have a general understanding of what concessions they might be prepared to offer, as a ceasefire and resolution to this conflict will require compromises from both parties,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated to reporters on Monday while en route to Jeddah. He will be accompanied by U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz for the meeting with senior Ukrainian officials, including Andriy Yermak, a senior aide to Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy, who met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia on Monday, will not participate in the discussions.

While Rubio exercised caution, Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who has been involved in diplomatic efforts regarding Ukraine, expressed optimism about the impending U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement. According to a source familiar with the situation, Witkoff intends to travel to Moscow for discussions with President Vladimir Putin, following a prior meeting with the Russian leader last month.

REGARDING TERRITORIAL CONCESSIONS?

Ukraine’s European allies maintain that the country should only pursue peace negotiations with Russia from a position of strength, emphasizing that Kyiv should not be hurried into discussions with an aggressor.

President Zelenskiy has asserted that Putin is not interested in peace and has cautioned that Russia may target other European nations if its invasion of Ukraine does not culminate in a decisive defeat.

On Monday, Rubio refrained from detailing the concessions that each side might need to make, but acknowledged that Ukraine would face challenges in regaining all of its lost territory.

The possibility of Russia fully conquering Ukraine is highly unlikely, and it will be extremely challenging for Ukraine to push Russian forces back to their pre-2014 positions within a reasonable timeframe, he stated to reporters.

Currently, Russia occupies approximately 20% of Ukraine’s land, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, while its military continues to advance in the eastern Donetsk region.

In February, U.S. and Russian officials convened in Saudi Arabia, marking a rare meeting between the two nations that were once Cold War adversaries.

The primary focus of these discussions was on re-establishing diplomatic relations following a significant halt in official communications during the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump.