Ukraine's Foreign Ministry shares key details ahead of US talks in Saudi Arabia

The Ukrainian and US delegations are set to meet in Saudi Arabia next week to discuss key issues, with the path to peace taking centre stage in their talks. There are no plans for Russian participation in the discussions, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Georgiy Tikhiy, spokesperson for the Ministry, shared details during a briefing, confirming that the Ukrainian and US teams have resumed their collaborative work, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

Tikhiy also noted that President Volodymyr y is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia next week, and after the visit, the team accompanying him will remain in Saudi Arabia for ongoing consultations with the American delegation.

“The work of the teams between Ukraine and the United States has resumed. As you know, President Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia next week, and after that, the team accompanying him will remain there to engage in talks with the American delegation,” Tikhiy explained.

Regarding the potential participation of Russian representatives, Tikhiy emphasized that Ukraine had received no such information. "We have not received any such information and we assume that the consultations in Saudi Arabia will be bilateral Ukrainian-American discussions, a meeting, a dialogue. There is no information suggesting that any Russians are planned to be there," he said.

The focus of the upcoming meeting, Tikhiy revealed, will be on Ukrainian-American bilateral relations, strategic partnerships, and their future development, with the central topic being the pursuit of peace. “The agenda will include discussions on bilateral Ukrainian-American relations, the development of our strategic partnership, and the path to peace,” Tikhiy confirmed.

The spokesperson added that the meeting would provide both sides with the opportunity to engage in direct dialogue. “I believe that it is here that both sides will have the opportunity to discuss all the issues on the agenda of Ukraine and the US — not through the media, not through public statements, including not through my statements, but directly face-to-face. We hope to reach mutually beneficial decisions and steps on this path. We are generally positive about this meeting,” Tikhiy said.

He also addressed the issue of a potential agreement with the US on minerals, underscoring that Ukraine remains ready to sign the deal. “Ukraine was prepared to sign the agreement with the US regarding minerals and still remains ready to do so. However, I am not able to provide specific details of the negotiations at this stage in order to avoid influencing these sensitive talks,” he said.

Despite the ongoing negotiations, Tikhiy acknowledged that the upcoming meeting in Saudi Arabia might provide an opportunity to finalize the deal. “Undoubtedly, this meeting in Saudi Arabia is one of the opportunities to sign the mineral agreement with the US. That’s true. But let’s not jump ahead and see how the events will unfold,” he added.

The Ukrainian delegation will be led by Andriy Yermak, Head of the President’s Office, while the US side will be represented by Special Representative for Middle East Affairs Steve Witkoff, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

By Tamilla Hasanova