Ukraine-US meeting in Jeddah: First details of the talks

First details of the meeting

Updated at 3:56 pm Kyiv time. The meeting between the US and Ukraine has resumed after a break. Fingers crossed that the work continues, said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, quoted by CNN.

Updated at 3:26. “Work in progress": the head of the OP Yermak wrote in his Telegram channel.

Updated at 2:55, CNN reported that Rubio and Waltz walked past the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, where the negotiations between the Ukrainian and US delegations are taking place. When asked how the meeting went, Waltz replied they were "getting there".

Updated at 12:38 pm Kyiv time. Ukraine is also approaching today’s negotiations with the US "very openly," says Yermak

Before the talks in Jeddah, the head of the Presidential Office said that the main priority now is to discuss the key issue: how to start the peace process to settle Russia’s war against Ukraine.

"And we want to have a very constructive, deep, friendly, and partnership-based conversation with our American partners," Yermak told journalists.

He emphasized the importance of US security guarantees for Ukraine to ensure that Russia cannot attack again after an agreement is reached. He added that the top priority of the meeting is to initiate the process of achieving peace with Moscow through negotiations.

In his column for The Guardian, he wrote that a ceasefire in Ukraine cannot be achieved through mere diplomatic gestures since political and financial pressure on Russia is needed.

"First, Ukraine must be given security guarantees that lend credibility to a future ceasefire agreement. Second, Europe must act decisively to strengthen and increase the sanctions against Russia. And third, Europe should take control of the frozen Russian assets to enable continued and increased support for Ukraine," Yermak added.

Updated at 12:27 pm. Polish Prime Minister issues statement in support of Ukrainian and US delegations

"Dear Americans, dear Ukrainians, don’t waste this chance. The whole world is watching you in Jeddah today. Good luck!" Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X, addressing the Ukrainian and US delegations.

According to an official statement from the US State Department, the meeting began at noon local time (11:00 am Kyiv time).

At 10:51 am, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that "the meeting of the Ukrainian and American delegations is beginning in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia."

"The key topics of the meeting will be the path to peace and bilateral relations between Ukraine and the US," the ministry stated.

It also released a video showing the Ukrainian delegation accompanied by representatives of Saudi Arabia, the host country of the high-level meeting between Ukraine and the US.

Delegations

Ukraine is represented by:

• Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak,
• Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha,
• Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov,
• Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, former commander of the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade Kholodnyi Yar Pavlo Palisa.

The US is represented by:

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio,
• National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

Earlier, it was reported that US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff would also participate in the talks. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs initially included his name in the participant list but later edited the post, removing his name. The State Department also did not mention him in its official statement.

Photo: Yermak posted a photo from the meeting in Jeddah (t.me/ermaka2022)

Yermak posted on Telegram:

"The meeting between the Ukrainian and US delegations in Saudi Arabia has begun. We are starting to work."

Later, he added that "the meeting with the US team started very constructively."

Agenda

Ukraine’s expectations

Initially, in Saudi Arabia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the Crown Prince, followed by the meeting between the Ukrainian and US delegations without the Ukrainian president's presence.

According to Zelenskyy, Kyiv is "clearly focused on constructive dialogue." He expressed hope that "necessary decisions and steps can be discussed and agreed upon."

Yermak, in turn, stated that Ukraine’s agenda includes defending Ukrainian interests and outlining a clear vision for ending the war.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously announced that discussions would focus on the "path to peace," Ukraine-US bilateral relations, and strategic partnership and its further development.

Both the Ukrainian and American sides did not rule out signing a mineral agreement, which was supposed to be concluded during Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington on February 28.

US expectations

Rubio, heading the US delegation, stated that the American side wants to hear from Ukraine what concessions it is willing to make for the sake of peace.

After the meeting between US and Ukrainian representatives in Saudi Arabia, Trump will decide whether to resume military aid to Ukraine, Rubio said in an interview on his way to Saudi Arabia.

He also mentioned that he had no scheduled meeting with President Zelenskyy in Jeddah. However, he did not rule out an informal conversation with the Ukrainian leader outside official meetings.

Witkoff confirmed that the meeting aims to prepare a framework for a peace agreement. The most important topic now is reaching a peace deal, he told journalists.

The US National Security Advisor also shared his expectations from the meeting, stating that discussions would focus on achieving a ceasefire.

Background

The new round of negotiations between Kyiv and Washington takes place against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s order to pause military aid to Ukraine and intelligence-sharing, following a public dispute in the Oval Office on February 28 between Zelenskyy, Trump, and US Vice President JD Vance.

After the argument, the American president stated that the Ukrainian leader was "not ready for peace." President Zelenskyy left the White House early without signing the minerals deal.

On March 4, Zelensky expressed his willingness to work "under strong leadership" from Trump for the sake of peace. He proposed an initiative for a ceasefire in the air and at sea between Ukraine and Russia, so that all subsequent stages can be quickly passed, and a strong final agreement with the US will be reached.

Trump himself said he expects "good results" from the negotiations between American and Ukrainian representatives in Saudi Arabia. According to him, the US is close to lifting the "pause" in intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.

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

Read more about what the parties bring to the talks in the RBC-Ukraine article.

Sources: US State Department, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and statements posted on the Telegram channel of the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak.