- US and Ukraine to hold key talks in Saudi Arabia next week.
- Zelensky seeks security guarantees as military aid remains frozen.
- Trump administration pressures Kyiv to cooperate on peace talks.
Talks between the United States and Ukraine will take place in Saudi Arabia next week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced, expressing hope for a “meaningful meeting.” While Zelensky will be in the Gulf kingdom, he will not participate in the discussions. Instead, Kyiv is focused on securing a “fast and lasting” peace.
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, stated that the American delegation aims to discuss a “framework” for ending the Russia-Ukraine war. The announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Kyiv and Washington, following a public clash last week at the White House. During that meeting, Trump accused Zelensky of not being ready to end the conflict, leading the US to pause military aid and halt intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.
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Zelensky has since attempted to mend ties with the US, Ukraine’s primary military supplier. On Thursday, Witkoff revealed that Trump had received a letter from Zelensky that included an “apology” and “sense of gratitude.” He expressed optimism about restoring cooperation, stating, “Hopefully, we get things back on track with the Ukrainians, and everything resumes.”
The Ukrainian president remains under intense US pressure to make concessions ahead of any peace talks, while he continues to push for firm security guarantees for Kyiv. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Moscow has seized control of roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory.
Zelensky confirmed the upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia through a series of social media posts following his participation in Thursday’s crisis summit in Brussels, where EU leaders backed increased defence spending.
“Ukrainian and American teams have resumed work, and we hope that next week we will have a meaningful meeting,” Zelensky wrote on X. He reiterated Ukraine’s longstanding stance that the war persists solely due to Russian aggression and urged the international community to increase pressure on Moscow to “accept the need to end” the conflict.
His remarks appeared to reference a recent ceasefire proposal from French President Emmanuel Macron, which called for an end to attacks on energy infrastructure and a truce in the air and at sea. Russia has yet to publicly respond to the French plan.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow seeks a peace agreement that ensures its “long-term security.” He insisted that Russia does not covet foreign territory but would not surrender any land it considers its own.
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Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and claims four additional regions in southeastern Ukraine, though it does not fully control them. In recent weeks, Ukrainian and European leaders have voiced concern over what they perceive as Trump’s overtures toward Russia.
During his election campaign, Trump vowed to end the war quickly, and preliminary US-Russia talks—held last month in Saudi Arabia—excluded both Ukraine and its European allies. His administration has framed the suspension of US military aid as a strategy to push Kyiv into cooperating with US-led negotiations. However, any pressure Washington may be applying on Moscow for concessions remains undisclosed.
