**Ukraine and US Begin Crucial Meeting in Saudi Arabia**
On March 11, a meeting between Ukrainian and US delegates began in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The talks are expected to have a major impact on Washington’s future support for Ukraine and any effort to end the Russia–Ukraine war.
**Key Figures Present**
The Ukrainian delegation includes President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Zelensky’s Deputy Chief of Staff Pavlo Palisa. The US delegation is led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
**Expectations High**
The expectations are high for the meeting, which presents a chance to mend relations between Kyiv and Washington after a heated exchange between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on February 28. The meeting could also see progress on the minerals deal that has been on hold since the White House clash.
**Ukraine’s Goals**
Ukrainian officials aim to push for the resumption of US military aid and intelligence sharing at the Jeddah talks. They will also reportedly propose a ceasefire in the air and at sea as the first step toward a peaceful settlement.
**Rubio’s Comments**
While traveling to the meeting, Rubio said that Ukraine would need to make territorial concessions as part of any peaceful settlement. He emphasized that it is essential for Ukraine to be prepared to do difficult things, like the Russians are going to have to do difficult things to end this conflict or at least pause it in some way.
**Background**
U.S. officials had previously met with Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia on February 18 and in Istanbul on February 27 to discuss restoring bilateral relations and holding preliminary peace talks without Ukraine’s involvement. The US had suspended all military aid and restricted intelligence support for Ukraine, endangering its ability to resist Russia’s all-out war.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com