Today, senior officials from the Trump administration are meeting a Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia to talk about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Washington and Kyiv are working to mend their ties after a tense meeting last month involving Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky will not attend this meeting but mentioned that peace is a “shared goal” for all involved.
Later this week, U.S. officials are expected to meet with Russian representatives.
After last month’s Oval Office gathering, Trump halted military aid and suspended intelligence support for Ukraine. This move aims to pressure Kyiv into negotiating a deal with Russia without offering security guarantees.
Who will be at the talks?
- The Ukrainian delegation includes the national security adviser, the foreign minister, and the defense minister.
- On the U.S. side, the Secretary of State and Trump’s national security adviser will meet with their Ukrainian counterparts.
The U.S. goal: Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that they hope to understand Kyiv’s position better and see what concessions Ukraine might be prepared to offer in negotiations. He mentioned they are in “listening mode” and that ongoing agreements regarding minerals are still being discussed.
On the ground:
- Fighting has ramped up in recent weeks as tensions between the U.S. and Ukraine have escalated.
- Russia claims it downed numerous Ukrainian drones launched at its territory ahead of the talks.
- If confirmed, this could be one of the largest aerial attacks on Russia since the invasion began.
- While the U.S. is still providing intelligence to help Ukraine defend itself, it has reduced sharing details that could aid in attacking Russian forces.
On the sidelines:
- Zelensky met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, discussing security guarantees Ukraine seeks in a possible peace deal with Russia.
- Rubio is uncertain if he will have a chance to talk with Zelensky during their time in Saudi Arabia but did not dismiss an informal chat.
- So far, no meeting is scheduled between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is expected to head to Moscow later this week, but it’s unclear if he will meet with Putin.
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