Senior officials from Ukraine and the United States met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to explore pathways to end the three-year war with Russia, just hours after Kyiv launched its largest drone assault on Russian territory since the conflict began.
Peace negotiations
The talks brought together U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. The discussions were held in the presence of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad al-Aiban.
During the meeting, Ukrainian officials presented a proposal to Washington outlining a partial ceasefire with Russia, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The Saudi-hosted talks were aimed at repairing strained U.S.-Ukraine relations following a tense and abruptly ended meeting last month between President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky. That encounter, which reportedly devolved into shouting, highlighted growing friction between the two leaders.
According to Reuters, Ukraine’s ceasefire proposal is designed to align with Trump’s stated ambition to end the war at “lightning speed.” The move appears intended to counter recent criticism from Trump, who has accused Zelensky of being unwilling to pursue peace, even as the U.S. administration has intensified direct engagement with Moscow.
The negotiations came hours after Ukraine carried out a massive drone attack targeting multiple regions inside Russia, underscoring the sharp contrast between diplomatic efforts and ongoing military escalation.
Trade talks
In parallel with the diplomatic meetings, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman hosted President Zelensky at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The two leaders stressed the importance of strengthening economic ties and welcomed plans to reactivate the Saudi-Ukrainian Business Council in 2025. They described the move as a key step toward deepening commercial cooperation.
Both sides acknowledged existing challenges to trade growth and emphasized the need to increase high-level visits, expand trade and investment delegations, encourage joint ventures, and better leverage opportunities in both markets. These include Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 megaprojects and Ukraine’s long-term reconstruction needs.
According to SPA, bilateral trade between Saudi Arabia and Ukraine grew by 9% in 2024, signaling momentum in economic relations despite the ongoing war.
