Trump on US-Ukraine meeting in Saudi Arabia: 'We’re going to make a lot of progress'

The President says that he expects positive results from negotiations between the US and Ukrainian delegations, which are set to take place in Saudi Arabia on March 11. During the meeting, the delegations are expected to determine whether Ukraine is willing to make material concessions to Russia in order to end the war.

"We’re going to make a lot of progress, I believe, this week," Trump said.

Additionally, the meeting will discuss an agreement on the extraction of minerals, which will allow the US to gain access to Ukraine's rare earth resources.

"They will sign the minerals deal. But I want them to want peace," Trump added.

Suspension of US aid and negotiations in Saudi Arabia

Recently, the United States officially announced the cessation of military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. The likely reason for this was a spat between US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on February 28.

Later, Trump stated that he does not believe Ukraine can survive even with the restoration of the US military support and is actively lobbying for an end to the war.

It is also known that Zelenskyy is expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia today for an official visit. A meeting between the Ukrainian and US delegations is planned, during which both sides will discuss the renewal of aid to Kyiv.

According to NBC News, US officials stated that a rare earths deal will not be enough for Trump to restore aid and intelligence sharing.