Zelenskyy heads to Saudi Arabia ahead of crucial US talks

On March 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy leaves for Saudi Arabia for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ahead of crucial discussions between Ukrainian and U.S. officials on ending the war with Russia. 

The meeting comes at a precarious moment for Kyiv, as U.S. support appears increasingly uncertain, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The United States, once Ukraine’s staunchest ally, has dramatically shifted its approach, engaging directly with Moscow while halting military assistance and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.

Zelenskyy is set to meet Mohammed bin Salman, whose Saudi Arabia has played a mediating role since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Riyadh has previously brokered prisoner exchanges and hosted negotiations between Russian and U.S. officials last month.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian and U.S. officials will hold their first formal talks since a tense Oval Office meeting between Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump. Discussions are expected to centre on a bilateral minerals agreement and potential steps towards ending the conflict.

Under significant pressure from Trump—who has demanded a rapid resolution to the war—Zelenskyy has been eager to demonstrate alignment with Washington. However, he has so far failed to secure U.S. security guarantees, which Kyiv sees as essential for any peace settlement.

Zelenskyy has confirmed he will not attend the talks himself, delegating the negotiations to his chief of staff, foreign and defence ministers, and a senior military official.

“On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X. “Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively.”

Meanwhile, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who has been coordinating the negotiations, said the objective is to “get down a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire as well.”

Zelenskyy has proposed a truce in the air and at sea, alongside a prisoner exchange, describing it as a test of Moscow’s willingness to end hostilities. However, Russia has dismissed the idea of a temporary ceasefire—an initiative also backed by Britain and France—arguing it would merely give Kyiv time to regroup and avoid further battlefield losses.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is prepared to sign a minerals deal with the U.S., which would establish a joint fund from the sale of Ukrainian mineral resources. Washington considers the agreement vital for maintaining continued American support.

With U.S. assistance hanging in the balance, Zelenskyy has intensified calls for European allies to step up their backing, as Ukraine’s battlefield position deteriorates. Ukrainian troops that advanced into Russia’s Kursk region last summer are now nearly encircled, according to open-source intelligence.

Russia continues to hold roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. Its forces are also making gains in the eastern Donetsk region, while intensifying drone and missile strikes on cities well beyond the front lines.

In the past week alone, Russia has launched approximately 1,200 aerial guided bombs, nearly 870 attack drones, and over 80 missiles at Ukraine, according to Zelenskyy.

By Aghakazim Guliyev