**Ukraine Heads into US Talks with Everything at Stake**
The future of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and the United States will be decided in talks between Kyiv officials and their Washington counterparts in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Top on the agenda will be the critical minerals deal, which stalled last month after a disastrous meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump. Ukraine is hoping to mend ties with the White House and ensure that the future US-led peace process doesn’t pose an existential threat to the country.
**A Weak Hand**
Ukraine enters the talks with a weak hand, as the US administration has been publicly attacking Ukraine, calling its leader a dictator, and cutting off vital intelligence sharing. However, Kyiv is prepared to do what it needs to get the US back on its side.
“We’re ready,” a source in the President’s Office told the Kyiv Independent when asked about the prospect of signing the mineral deal.
**Partial Ceasefire**
In an effort to convince the US that Ukraine is serious about peace, Kyiv is reportedly proposing a partial ceasefire covering long-range drone and missile strikes, as well as hostilities in the Black Sea. However, this may be met with resistance from the US, which may now want to extort more from a weakened Ukraine.
**Trump’s Transactional Approach**
The US delegation will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. However, Trump’s transactional approach to negotiations has been criticized in Kyiv, with many fearing that his main interest lies in Ukraine’s mineral wealth rather than its sovereignty.
**Europe Excluded**
Watching from the sidelines is Europe, which has been excluded from peace negotiations despite being the continent upon which the war is being waged. Brussels faces the same challenges as Kyiv – convincing Trump that Ukraine’s interests need to be considered.
“We have reiterated at all levels precisely that it is in Ukraine’s interest, in Europe’s interest, and ultimately also in the US interest to put Ukraine in a position of strength before entering into peace negotiations,” Paula Pinho, chief spokesperson of the European Commission, told the Kyiv Independent.