Russia expects US briefing on Ukraine meeting in Saudi Arabia
Russia on Tuesday said it expects the United States to brief Moscow on the outcome of the US-Ukraine meeting held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“A US-Ukraine meeting will take place in Jeddah today. The US, which is in search of ways to reach a peaceful solution, will keep us updated somehow,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Tass.
Ukrainian and US delegates began talks in Jeddah on Tuesday, which could significantly influence Washington’s future support for Kyiv and broader peace efforts in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. “The meeting with the US team started very constructively; we are working towards a just and lasting peace,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak.
The Ukrainian delegation includes Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Deputy Chief of Staff Pavlo Palisa. The US delegation is led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
The meeting presents an opportunity to repair strained relations between Kyiv and Washington following a tense exchange between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump at the White House in February, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Ahead of the meeting, Rubio stated, “The most important thing is to leave with a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things, just as Russia will have to make difficult decisions to end or pause this conflict.”
He added, “The Russians can’t conquer all of Ukraine, and Ukraine faces challenges in driving Russia back to pre-2014 borders. Diplomacy is the only solution, and we hope to make progress with support from France and Britain.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on Russia ahead of the talks. Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that 337 Ukrainian drones were shot down early Tuesday, including 91 over the Moscow region. Russian analysts suggested that Ukraine’s aggressive stance aimed to strengthen its position at the negotiation table in Jeddah, Tass reported.
