U.S. and Ukraine Officials Meet in Saudi Arabia for War Talks

RIYADH: U.S. and Ukrainian officials gathered in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to hold critical talks aimed at mending strained relations and assessing Ukraine’s willingness to make concessions in President Donald Trump‘s push to bring a swift end to the ongoing war with Russia.

Since Trump’s inauguration in January, Washington has drastically altered its policy toward the conflict, with the U.S. president directly engaging with Moscow, halting military aid to Kyiv, and pausing intelligence-sharing with Ukraine. This shift came after Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which had initially sparked U.S. support for Ukraine.

A contentious clash at the White House last month between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy further soured relations between the two countries, leaving the future of a crucial minerals deal in limbo. Trump had framed this deal as essential for continued U.S. support for Ukraine and compensation for the $65 billion in U.S. military aid sent to Ukraine since the start of the conflict.

Under mounting pressure from Washington, Zelenskiy has worked to demonstrate Ukraine’s commitment to ending the war, though the U.S. security guarantees, which Kyiv views as vital for peace, have yet to materialize in the minerals accord.

“We have to understand the Ukrainian position and get an idea of what concessions they’re willing to make, because you’re not going to get a ceasefire and an end to this war unless both sides make concessions,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said ahead of the talks.

Rubio, along with U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, met with senior Ukrainian officials, including Andriy Yermak, a top aide to Zelenskiy. While Zelenskiy was in Saudi Arabia on Monday for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he did not attend the meeting.

Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who is also involved in Ukraine diplomacy, expressed hope that the U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal could soon be signed. Witkoff is planning a visit to Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin, following previous talks in Russia.

While there is pressure on Ukraine to consider concessions, European allies of Ukraine have emphasized that any peace deal with Russia should come from a position of strength, urging Kyiv not to rush into negotiations with an aggressor. Zelenskiy has repeatedly stated that Russian President Putin is not interested in peace and has warned that Russia could target other European nations if its invasion of Ukraine is not definitively defeated.

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Rubio refrained from detailing specific concessions either side might need to make but acknowledged that it would be challenging for Ukraine to reclaim all of its lost territory. “The Russians can’t conquer all of Ukraine, and it will be very difficult for Ukraine to force the Russians back to their pre-2014 positions,” Rubio stated.

As Russia controls about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea, annexed in 2014, and continues to press its offensive in the eastern Donetsk region, the prospect of a peace agreement remains uncertain.

Earlier in February, U.S. and Russian officials held rare talks in the Saudi capital, focusing on restoring diplomatic ties after a long freeze during the Biden administration.