US and Ukraine to hold peace talks in Saudi Arabia next week, says Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he will visit Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman ahead of high-level peace talks with US officials later in the week.
“Next week, on Monday, my visit to Saudi Arabia is planned to meet the Crown Prince. After that, my team will remain in Saudi Arabia to work with our American partners. Ukraine is most interested in peace,” Zelensky stated.
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, confirmed the planned meeting with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia next week, saying discussions were underway for a potential peace agreement and an initial ceasefire.
Witkoff noted that Trump welcomed a letter from Zelensky following last week’s tense White House meeting. “He felt that Zelensky’s letter was a very positive first step. There was an apology. There was an acknowledgment that the United States has done so much for Ukraine and a sense of gratitude,” Witkoff said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials are expected to arrive in Riyadh on Tuesday to attend the meeting, which will also include Andriy Yermak, a top aide to Zelensky. Trump stated that he plans to visit Saudi Arabia within the next month and a half but did not specify a date.
“I’m going to Saudi Arabia. I said, I’ll go if you pay a trillion dollars—$1 trillion to American companies—(spreading) the purchase over a four-year period. They’ve agreed to do that, so I’m going to be going there,” Trump said, hinting at a significant investment deal with Saudi Arabia.
This meeting marks a potential shift in US-Ukraine relations following last week’s heated exchange between Trump and Zelensky, which led Washington to cut military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Zelensky attended an emergency European Union summit in Brussels, where EU leaders discussed increased defense spending to strengthen security in Europe. The 27 EU leaders approved a plan to relax budget restrictions, allowing member states to boost military investments. The European Commission estimates this could free up approximately €650 billion.
Additionally, some Eastern European leaders expressed support for French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to share France’s nuclear capabilities as a deterrent, though Russia criticized the idea as “extremely confrontational.”
At the EU summit, Zelensky confirmed that negotiations between Ukrainian and American officials had “resumed,” and he hoped for “a meaningful meeting” in Saudi Arabia next week. He expressed gratitude for the EU’s continued support, amid concerns that US outreach to Russia could pressure Ukraine into an unfavorable deal.
“We are very thankful that we are not alone,” Zelensky stated.
The European summit followed last week’s tense Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelensky, which resulted in the US temporarily halting military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.
