Zelensky Hopes for 'Meaningful' US-Ukraine Talks Next Week
US-Ukraine negotiations are set to take place in Saudi Arabia next week, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressing hope for a productive outcome.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that US-Ukraine talks will be held in Saudi Arabia next week, expressing optimism that the discussions will be "meaningful." While he will be present in the Gulf kingdom, Zelensky will not participate directly in the talks. Kyiv is seeking a "fast and lasting" peace as the war with Russia continues.
US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, stated that the American delegation aims to establish a "framework" for peace in an effort to end the conflict. The announcement comes after a tense public exchange last week between Trump and Zelensky at the White House, during which Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of not being ready to end the fighting. In response, the US paused military aid to Ukraine and halted intelligence sharing.
Zelensky has since attempted to mend relations with Washington, the country's largest military backer. On Thursday, Witkoff confirmed that Trump received a letter from Zelensky that conveyed an "apology" and "sense of gratitude."
"Hopefully, we can get things back on track with the Ukrainians, and everything resumes," Witkoff said.
Zelensky is under significant US pressure to make concessions ahead of any peace negotiations, while he continues to push for strong security guarantees for Kyiv. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, it has seized control of approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory. Fighting remains intense, with Ukraine reporting a "massive missile and drone" assault on its energy infrastructure Thursday night.
In response to the attacks, Poland’s military scrambled fighter jets and activated air defense systems amid concerns for western Ukraine. Meanwhile, Zelensky’s letter to Trump suggests that Kyiv may be running out of diplomatic options.
Following a crisis summit in Brussels, where European Union leaders backed increased defense spending, Zelensky confirmed the upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia through social media. "Ukrainian and American teams have resumed work, and we hope that next week we will have a meaningful meeting," he posted on X.
He reiterated that Ukraine has sought peace since the onset of the war and blamed Russia for its continuation. Zelensky also urged the global community to exert greater pressure on Moscow to acknowledge the need to end the conflict.
His remarks appeared to reference a recent proposal by French President Emmanuel Macron, which suggested a truce covering aerial and naval combat, along with a halt to attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure. Russia has not publicly commented on the French proposal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, stated that Moscow seeks a peace deal ensuring "long-term calmness" for Russia. "We don’t need anything that belongs to others, but we won’t give up anything that belongs to us either," he said.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called for a "fair, lasting, and binding peace agreement that every side can accept."
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and claims four additional Ukrainian regions in the southeast, though it does not fully control them. Ukraine and its European allies have voiced increasing concern over Trump’s stance on Russia, which some in Europe see as conciliatory.
During his election campaign, Trump vowed to end the war swiftly, and last month, preliminary US-Russia talks were held in Saudi Arabia without Ukrainian or European representation. The Trump administration has positioned the suspension of US military aid to Ukraine as a strategic move to push Kyiv toward US-led peace negotiations. However, whether similar pressure is being applied to Moscow remains unclear.
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