A high-level delegation from the US government is set to meet with a Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. According to a report by Fox News, the US delegation will consist of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz. The Ukrainian delegation will be led by Andrei Jermak, the head of the Presidential Office.
This will be the first high-level meeting between the US and Ukraine since the recent diplomatic rift. The meeting was sparked by a recent incident at the White House that led to the suspension of arms deliveries to Kiev and the halt of information exchange between the two countries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that he will travel to Saudi Arabia next week to meet with the Crown Prince. After the meeting, his team will stay in Saudi Arabia to work with American partners, Zelenskyy said. “The Ukraine is most interested in peace” he added.
The main topic of the talks is expected to be the war in Ukraine, as well as possible future steps in the wake of recent contacts between the US and Russia. Details of the talks have not been released. According to a report by Axios, the meeting could influence the further course of peace efforts.
Bloomberg reported that US President Donald Trump has expressed his willingness to still sign the frozen agreement on natural resources with Kiev. The agreement was blocked due to a verbal exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House. A key condition for a deal would be Kiev’s consent to a rapid ceasefire and the start of negotiations with Moscow.