London – American and Ukrainian officials will meet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for important conversations on Tuesday with the aim of drawing a course to end the three -year war in Russia, and after weeks of thaw between presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The two parties have framed Tuesday’s conversations as a way to restore bilateral relations after the explosive oval office meeting last month between Trump, Zelenskyy and vice president JD Vance. The confrontation led Trump to denounce kyiv as the main impediment of peace in Ukraine, as well as place a freezing in the military aid of the United States and some intelligence exchanges.
“The most important thing we have to leave here is a strong feeling that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, who will direct the United States delegation, Monday before conversations.
Zelenskyy has emphasized his peace preparation, although he repeatedly warned that any agreement must guarantee deterrence against future Russian aggression. On Monday, Zelenskyy, who will not participate in Tuesday’s conversations, traveled to Saudi Arabia to meet with the heir prince and the de facto ruler Mohammed Bin Salman.
Zelenskyy said he had a “detailed discussion” with Salman in “the steps and conditions necessary to end war and ensure reliable and lasting peace”, in a publication on social networks after the two leaders gathered.
Saudi and Ukraine Arabia flags are aligned on the road of King Abdulaziz in the port city of the Saudi Red Sea of Jeddah before a visit by the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, March 10, 2025.
Amer Hilabi/AFP through Gettty Images
“I emphasized the issue of the release of prisoners and the return of our children, which could become a key step to generate confidence in diplomatic efforts. An important part of the discussion was dedicated to the formats of security guarantees,” said Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy said that a Ukrainian delegation “will remain” in the country to “work with the American team” on Tuesday. Zelenskyy said he expects “practical results,” from the US Uu Ukraine meeting.
“The position of Ukraine in these conversations will be totally constructive,” he added.
The United States delegation will be led by Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and the envoy of Middle East Steve Witkoff.
The Ukraine negotiation group will include Andriy Yermak, head of the Zelenskyy office, the Andrii Sybiha Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov and the deputy director of Cabinete Pavlo Palisa.
“The team is in the place,” Yermak wrote on Telegram on Tuesday morning. “Preparing to work. Protecting Ukrainian interests, a clear vision of the end of the war, we will work effectively with our US partners.”
The Trump administration is pressing kyiv to make concessions in search of a peace agreement to end Russia’s invasion. The White House also wants Ukraine to sign a controversial mineral exchange agreement that Trump has framed as a way of recovering tens of billions of American aid sent to Ukraine since 2022.
Rubio said that the Russians “will also have to do difficult things,” although Trump and his senior officials have not said what concessions he can be asked to do to Moscow. American and Russian negotiators met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last month.
A source close to Zelenskyy confirmed to ABC News that Ukraine will propose a partial fire in their conversations with the US.
The time frame for the truce is still clear.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio talks to the media on his military plane while flying to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 10, 2025.
Saul Loeb/Pool through Reuters
“We want to propose the partial fire that can be monitored and then see how the Russians respond to determine the next steps,” added the source.
Rubio told journalists on Monday that he saw some promise in the partial proposal of Alto El Fuego de Ukrania.
“I don’t say that is enough, but it is the type of concession you would need to see to finish this conflict,” he said.
Rubio said that finishing the mineral agreement with Ukraine was “an important issue, but it is not the main theme on the agenda.”
“It is certainly an agreement that the president wants to see, but it does not necessarily have to happen tomorrow,” he said. “There are still more details to exercise.”
Nataliia Popova, Ellie Kaufman and Oleskiy Pshemyskiy contributed to this report.
