The head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, who is currently participating in talks with the US delegation in Saudi Arabia, outlined the meeting’s objectives. He stated that the Ukrainian team was already on site and preparing for discussions.
A photo released by the presidential press service shows that Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, Deputy Prime Minister Yuliya Svyrydenko, and other Ukrainian officials also travelled to Jeddah for the meeting. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia yesterday but is set to return to Ukraine today.
“Protecting Ukrainian interests, a clear vision of ending the war, and working effectively with our American partners,” Yermak said, describing the goals of the talks.
Negotiations in Saudi Arabia
- The US delegation participating in the talks includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Volz, and Steve Witkoff, the special envoy for the Middle East, who is closely associated with Donald Trump and took part in a meeting with Russian officials in February. Witkoff is expected to lead the negotiations. According to The Economist, Ukraine will propose a ceasefire in the air and at sea at this meeting. If the US supports the proposal, the next step would be for Russia to either reject the plan - agreed upon by the US - or agree to stop attacking civilian targets from the air.
- Rubio believes that the outcome of these negotiations will determine the future of US military support for Ukraine. As is known, the US halted military aid to Ukraine last week.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Saudi Arabia was originally scheduled for February and had been planned in advance. However, during that period, Washington arranged separate talks with a Russian delegation, focusing on Ukraine, without inviting Ukrainian or European representatives. Zelenskyy criticised this approach and postponed his visit until 10 March, choosing to avoid being in the same location as Russian officials. He stated that he did not want his partners to even suspect that he was negotiating with Russia behind their backs.
- Following this, tensions between Ukraine and the US escalated. Negotiations over a minerals deal lasted several weeks, with Washington imposing conditions that Ukraine found unacceptable. The US also attributed a non-existent $350 billion debt to Ukraine for previous aid, while Kyiv maintained that the assistance had been provided without any repayment obligation and that the total amount was much lower - just over $100 billion. Additionally, the US proposed that Ukraine return two dollars for every one received.
- After several rounds of negotiations, the two sides reached a compromise. Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that references to Ukrainian debt and a 2:1 repayment ratio had been removed from the agreement. However, the finalised document was only a framework agreement establishing a joint investment fund. A more detailed agreement still needs to be drafted and ratified by the Verkhovna Rada. The signing was initially scheduled to take place during Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House in late February, but the trip ended in controversy.
- Ukraine had signalled its willingness to sign the agreement and continue negotiations with the US, including discussions on ending the war. However, Trump and his team accused Zelenskyy of showing disrespect and being unprepared to conclude a peace deal, while also pressuring him on the issue of elections. Despite this, communication between Kyiv and Washington continued, ultimately leading to the current meeting in Saudi Arabia.