Top officials from the United States and Ukraine are gathering in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday for high-level talks aimed at finding a path to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, he will not be attending the discussions.

Ukraine will be represented by Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, Presidential Office Chief Andrii Yermak, and his deputy Pavlo Pallisa. On the U.S. side, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and special envoy Steve Witkoff—who has been involved in Gaza-Israel negotiations—are expected to attend.

The meeting follows Ukraine’s recent backing of a French-led initiative for a partial ceasefire on airstrikes and naval attacks, a proposal Russia rejected last week.

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Kyiv is also pushing for a full prisoner exchange as an initial step, while Washington is calling for a comprehensive ceasefire followed by elections in Ukraine.

Ukraine has been fending off Russia’s full-scale invasion for over three years with Western support. However, tensions between Kyiv and Washington have grown. A heated Oval Office meeting on Feb. 28 saw U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticize Zelensky, leading to a pause in arms deliveries and intelligence sharing.

Trump has been pushing for a minerals deal with Ukraine, but Zelensky remains focused on securing firm security guarantees before any agreement is reached.

NAN