US President Donald Trump stated that the suspension of intelligence sharing with Kiev is “almost over”. This announcement came ahead of talks between US and Ukrainian representatives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Trump had halted the provision of US military aid to Ukraine and the exchange of intelligence information with Kiev in late February, following a public spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. Trump accused Zelensky of not being willing to make peace with Moscow and being ungrateful for the support Washington provided to his country during the conflict.
When asked by journalists on Sunday whether he would consider ending the intelligence pause, Trump replied, “We’ve almost got it. I mean, we’ve really almost got it. And we’re going to do everything we can to get the Ukraine to do something serious.”
Trump also expressed optimism about making significant progress in the talks in Jeddah on Tuesday, expecting a “good result”. “I think some very big things could happen this week” the President said, emphasizing that there had been a large number of war deaths in recent days. “We need to end this” Trump stated.
The US delegation will be led by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, while Ukraine’s delegation will be headed by Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to President Zelensky.
US officials told Reuters on Monday that Washington wants to use the meeting to determine whether Ukraine is willing to make concessions to Russia to end the conflict. “You can’t say ‘I want peace’ and ‘I won’t make compromises'” a source emphasized.
The Financial Times reported on Sunday that Ukraine’s representatives in Jeddah plan to propose a partial ceasefire with Moscow, including a ban on long-range drone and rocket attacks and combat operations in the Black Sea, in the hope that the US will reverse its decision to freeze intelligence sharing and military aid. A Ukrainian official told the FT that Kiev would temporarily prioritize improving its relations with Washington.
Russia has repeatedly stated that it will not accept a temporary ceasefire with Ukraine, as it believes the West would use such a truce to allow Kiev to rearm. According to Moscow, the conflict can only be resolved through reliable, legally binding agreements that address its root causes and ensure that future fighting is prevented.