Saudi Arabia will host crucial talks between the US and Ukraine on Tuesday in a new endeavor to end the conflict in Ukraine.
The talks, set to take place in Jeddah, comes after a tense exchange between the US President, Donald Trump, and the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, in the White House, with Trump accusing Zelensky of not showing a real desire to end the war.
Rubio Heads to Saudi Arabia
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is traveling to Saudi Arabia for the US-Ukraine talks. In a statement, the US State Department said that Rubio will head to Jeddah March 10-12, 2025, to “hold talk with Ukrainian counterparts to advance Trump’s goals to end the Russia-Ukraine war.”
The statement also said that Rubio will meet with the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, to “discuss ways to advance shared interests in the region and strengthen the US-Saudi relationship.”
Rubio will head the US delegation, which is expected to include the US National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, and Trump’s Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.
Earlier, Witkoff said that he was working with the Ukrainians for a framework deal that would end the ongoing war in Ukraine and the meeting in Saudi Arabia aims to discuss the agreement.
Trump’s Optimism
Trump expressed optimism, saying that he expects progress in the US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah. “We’re going to make a lot of progress, I believe, this week,” he told reporters on Air Force One. He also said that the US is close to lifting the pause on intelligence sharing with Ukraine, reported Axios.
Trump also expected Ukraine to sign a minerals deal with the US, but he emphasized that he wants Ukraine “to want peace.” He added: “and right now they haven’t shown it to the extent that they should. But I think they will be, and I think it’s going to become evident over the next two or three days.”
Ukrainian Hopes
The Ukrainian President is planning to visit Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet with the Saudi Crown Prince. However, Zelensky will not take part in the US-Ukraine talks.
He said that the Ukrainians were coordinating with their US counterparts to hold constructive talks. “We continue working with partners who seek peace just as we do, focusing on the necessary steps. Next week, there will be a lot of work here in Europe, with the US, and in Saudi Arabia – we are preparing a meeting to accelerate peace and strengthen the foundations of security,” Zelensky wrote on X.
“Today, intense work with President Trump’s team has been ongoing at various levels – numerous calls. The topic is clear – peace as soon as possible, security as reliably as possible. Ukraine is fully committed to a constructive approach,” he added.
Zelensky said that the Ukrainian team that will take part in the talks include the Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha, and Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov. He stressed their commitment to “constructive dialogue” and their hope to “discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps.”
Similarly, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha, expected “a constructive conversation with mutually beneficial results for peace and bilateral cooperation.”
US-Ukraine Tensions
On February 28, 2025, a public spat took place between Zelensky, Trump and US Vice President, JD Vance, during a meeting in the White House’s Oval Office. Trump and Vance berated Zelensky, accusing him of not being grateful for the US support and that he does not want to end the war. The US President also accused the Ukrainian President of “gambling with World War III” and being “disrespectful” to the US.
The meeting ended with Zelensky leaving the White House without signing the minerals deal, which included granting US access to Ukrainian oil, gas and rare minerals, in addition to an investment fund for Ukraine’s reconstruction. Kyiv wanted the deal to include a security guarantee from the US, a demand that Washington rejected.
On Thursday, Witkoff said that Zelensky sent Trump a letter that included an “apology” and “sense of gratitude,” according to BBC. “Hopefully, we get things back on track with the Ukrainians, and everything resumes,” Witkoff said.
US-Russia Talks in Riyadh
On February 18, 2025, Riyadh hosted a high-level meeting between US and Russian diplomats, upon the directives of the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to promote international peace and security. The peace talks aimed to set the stage for a Trump-Putin summit, in order to restore ties between both countries and end the conflict in Ukraine.
After the meetings, the Russian top foreign policy adviser, Yury Ushakov, said that the discussions “went well,” and was “a serious conversation on all issues.” Furthermore, the US State Department described the talks as “an important step forward” to establish enduring peace.
Saudi Arabia Welcomes US-Ukraine Talks
Saudi Arabia welcomed the hosting of US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah. In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry emphasized Saudi Arabia’s continued efforts to achieve lasting peace to end the Ukrainian crisis, as the Kingdom has continued these efforts over the past three years by hosting many meetings on this matter.
Saudi Arabia has emerged as a credible mediator, maintaining a neutral stance on the conflict. The Kingdom has also made extensive diplomatic efforts to promote peace regionally and internationally.
